Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Ficus sycomorus and Hyphaene theibaica leaf Extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans

Abstract

The effective use of Ficus sycomorus and Hyphaene theibaica traditionally in the treatment of a variety of illnesses has been widely reported. The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial activities of the leaf extracts of Ficus sycomorus and Hyphaene theibaica on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Fresh leaves of Ficus sycomorus and Hyphaene theibaica were collected, dried, and subjected to ethanolic extraction, and screened for phytochemicals. Five different concentrations of each extract were prepared viz: 200, 160, 120, 80, and 40 mg/mL using distilled water as solvent and tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans using the agar well diffusion method. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed that F. sycomorus contained phenol, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and steroids while H. theibaica contained saponin, flavonoids, alkaloid, phenol, and steroids. Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic leaf extracts of Ficus sycomorus was observed only against Escherichia coli at 200 mg/mL. While no zones of inhibition were observed against any of the test isolates for ethanolic leaf extracts of Hyphaene theibaica. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of F. sycomorus extracts on E. coli was 100 mg/mL and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 200 mg/mL. The activity of F. sycomorus leaf extract on E. coli, being an enteric bacterium, could justify the traditional claims of its use in effective treatment of diarrhea and other stomach complications.