Determination of antibacterial activity of five medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of diabetic foot infection in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

The use of traditional medicine in various therapies by the indigenous population cannot be over emphasized. Traditional healers in many countries including Nigeria use different species of plants as usual sources of medicine. Diabetic foot ulcers are the fastest growing complication of diabetes mellitus. The disease is highly susceptible to infection leading to tissue destruction and amputation. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Guiera senegalensis, Ficus glumosa, Acacia nilotica, Anogeissus leiocarpus and Balanite aegyptiaca against some bacterial isolates from diabetic foot ulcer. Ethanol and aqueous extracts of the selected plants material were prepared by maceration and decoction methods respectively. Determination of the antibacterial activity was carried out by agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations were also evaluated. Maximum extraction yield was obtained from the ethanol Pod extract of Acacia nilotica (33%). While Anogeisus leiocarpus ethanol stem bark extract exhibited the least extraction yield (6.89%). All the studied plant materials showed a potential antibacterial activity by growth inhibition of one or more tested organisms. Highest zone of inhibition of 23.0 ± 0.00mm was obtained in the
aqueous extract of A. nilotica on Citrobacter specie with no significant difference with the control (P˂0.05). The MIC and MBC values ranged from 1mg/ml – 8mg/ml. The studied plants possessed appreciable antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial isolates from diabetic foot ulcer. Hence these plants can be considered as a potential lead for the development of new drug for the treatment of diabetic foot infection.