Antibacterial activities of bitter kola (Garcinia kola) on upper respiratory tract isolates from students of Ambrose Alli University students, Ekpoma, Nigeria

Abstract

Concerns about the alarming cases of antimicrobial resistance have in recent times, prompted the search for therapeutic alternatives including herbal options. This study therefore, assesses the antibacterial potentials of Garcinia kola extracts on bacterial isolates from the upper respiratory tract of young adult undergraduates. The disc diffusion method was adopted, while phytochemical screening tests (PCST) was performed on the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Garcinia kola to ascertain their active components. The PCST revealed the presence of tanin and steroids, while
saponin, flavanoids and cardiac glycosides were present only in the ethanol extract. Resin alkaloids were absent in both extracts. A comparative sensitivity test was also performed between Garcinia kola extracts and some conventional antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin and Augumentin). The results revealed that Garcinia kola extracts had inhibitory effect on the test isolates-Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Klebsiella species; probably due the high tannin and flavanoid contents of the extrcts. Above all, our  findings supports several claims that Garcinia kola has antimicrobial potentials and in turn, suggests that a regulated ingestion of Garcinia kola may to an extent, useful against bacterial infections since it is cheap and readily available.

Key words: Antibacterial activities, Bacteria, Garcinia Kola, Upper Respiratory tract