Abstract
Premature births are largely caused by preterm infections. Here, we report the antibacterial activities of the medicinal plant Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) against Escherichia coli (E. coli), one of the main causes implicated in infections associated with preterm labor. We screened different whole leaf extracts of M. oleifera for antibacterial activities and determined the dose-dependency using in vitro diffusion assays. In our assays, we compared the antibacterial potency of the Moringa leaf extracts to tetracycline and ciprofloxacine. The pure ethanol extract showed the most antibacterial activity at 20 μg against E. coli, with ethanol and ethanol/water extracts acting in a concentration dependent manner. The lowest measureable dosage, 1 µg, exerted inhibition zones of 12 and 7 mm, respectively. Pure ethanol extract, 25 µg, mimicked ciprofloxacine, 5 µg, inhibition but was higher than tetracycline at equal concentrations. This study confirms the antibacterial properties of M. oleifera and its potential use as a natural antibacterial agent for management and prevention of infection-induced preterm labor. Funding: OSR, Appalachian State University.
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