THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF BASELLA ALBA ON SELECTED MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

Agar cup plate method was used to determine the antimicrobial effects of Basella alba against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albican. Ethanolic extracts of the leaf and stem of B. alba revealed the presence of tannin, terpene, steroid, saponin, anthraquinone, and with carbohydrate present only in the stem extracts. The result of this study showed that S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli were susceptible to 60mg/ml and 100mg/ml of the extract while Candida albican was resistant. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the ethanolic extract of the leaf and stem were also determined. The MIC and the MBC for the leaf and stem extract of P. aeruginosa and E. coli was 50mg/ml while the MIC and the MBC for the leaf and stem extract of S. aureus was 100mg/ml. The result of this study suggests that the ethanolic extracts of

1. alba was not suitable for the treatment of disease caused by Candida albican but could be suitable for the treatment of diseases caused by S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli.