ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE SOLVENT FRACTIONS FROM BULBINE NATALENSIS TUBER

Authors

  • M T Yakubu University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
  • Toyin Musa Yakubu Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Nigeria
  • A O. T Ashafa
  • A J Afolayan

Keywords:

Bulbine natalensis, ethylacetate fraction, antimicrobial agent, asphodelaceae

Abstract

Bulbine natalensis Baker has been acclaimed to be used as an antimicrobial agent in the folklore medicine of South Africa without scientific evidence to substantiate or refute this claim. In view of this, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of solvent fractions (ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water) from Bulbine natalensis Tuber against 4 Gram positive and 12 Gram negative bacteria as well as 3 fungal species were investigated using agar dilution. The ethanolic extract, n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions inhibited 75, 87.5 and 100% respectively of the bacterial species in this study. The ethanolic, n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions produced growth inhibition at MIC range of 1-10, 3-10 as well as 1 and 5 mg/ml respectively whereas the water fraction did not inhibit the growth of any of the bacterial species. Again, it was only the ethyl acetate fraction that inhibited the growth of Shigelli flexneri, Staphyloccus aureus and Escherichia coli. The ethanolic, ethyl acetate and n-butanolic fractions dose dependently inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger and A. flavus whereas the water fraction produced 100% growth inhibition of the Aspergillus species at all the doses investigated. In contrast, no growth inhibition was produced on Candida albicans. The growth inhibition produced by the solvent fractions of B. natalensis Tuber in this study thus justifies the acclaimed use of the plant as an antimicrobial agent. The ethyl acetate fraction was the most potent.

Author Biographies

M T Yakubu, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa

Present Address: 1Phytomedicine, Reproductive and Developmental Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Toyin Musa Yakubu, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Senior Lecturer Phytomedicne, Reproductive and Developmental Biochemistry Research Laboratory, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

A J Afolayan

Centre for Phytomedicine Research, Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa

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Published

2012-05-21

How to Cite

Yakubu, M. T., Yakubu, T. M., Ashafa, A. O. T., & Afolayan, A. J. (2012). ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE SOLVENT FRACTIONS FROM BULBINE NATALENSIS TUBER. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 9(4), 459–464. Retrieved from https://journals.athmsi.org/index.php/ajtcam/article/view/1060

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 4 (2012)

Section

Research Papers

License

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