Comparative study of antibacterial activities of fruits of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich and bulb of Crinum jagus (Thompson) dandy

Abstract

Xylopia aethiopica and Crinum jagus are medicinal plants which had been used traditionally for various ailments such as cough, amenorrhea, stomach ache and urinary ailments. The aim of this study was to compare the antibacterial activities of the ethanolic extracts of fruits of X. aethiopica with ethanolic extracts of bulb of C. jagus. Agar well diffusion method was used against the following organisms: K. pneumonia, E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B. subtilis. Both plant extracts demonstrated concentration dependent activities against all the bacteria tested. Fruits of X. aethiopica was observed to be more active against S. aureus while bulb of C. jagus showed greater activities against E. coli, K. pneumonia and Ps. aeruginosa. The two plant extracts showed almost the same level of activity against B. subtilis. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tanins and cardiac glycosides in X. aethiopica which were absent in C. jagus. In conclusion X. aethiopica showed greater activity against Gram
positive bacteria while C. jagus was more active against Gram-negative bacteria.