ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF EMILIA COCCINEA AND SENNA TORA AGAINST SELECTED BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants represent potential sources of novel compounds to treat Bacterial infections. In this work, the antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of two medicinal plants, Emilia coccinea and Senna tora, were evaluated using the disc agar diffusion technique. The plant extracts were tested at 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and lOOmg/ml against five bacterial species [Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 7080, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Salmonella typhi (local isolate)]. The ethanol extracts of these plants had no inhibitory effect on the growth of the test organisms. The results of this study fail to validate the ethanomedical uses of these plants for the treatment of bacterial infections.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgments iv

Table of Contents v

List of Tables vii

List of Figures viii

Abstract ix

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Aims and Objectives 3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review 4

2.1 Emilia coccinea 4

2.1.1 Taxonomic classification 5

2.1.2 Plant Description 5

2.1.3 Antimicrobial Activity 7

2.1.4 Phytochemical Examination 10

2.2 Senna  tora 11

2.2.1 Taxonomic Distribution 12

2.2.2 Botany 12

2.2.3 Chemistry 14

2.2.4 Bioactivity 15

2.2.5 Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antishigellosis Activity 18

2.2.6 Antioxidant Activity 21

2.2.7 Antidiabetic Activity 24

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Materials and Methods 27

3.1 Plant Materials 27

3.2 Test Microorganisms 27

3.3 Antimicrobial Testing 27

3.4 Phytochemical Screening 28

3.4.1 Test for Tannins 29

3.4.2 Test for Phenols 29

3.4.3 Test for Saponin 29

3.4.4 Test for Flavonoids 29

3.4.5 Test for Alkaloid 29

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Results 31

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion and Conclusion 35

5.1 Discussion 35

5.2 Conclusion 37

5.3 Recommendations 38

Reference

Appendix

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The use of plants in traditional medicine has been well documented in many parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2002), 65% of the world's population have incorporated ethno-medicine in their primary health care practice. In some African and Asian countries, 80% of the population depends on traditional medicine for primary health care and about 70% of population in the developed world has used alternative or complementary medicines (WHO, 2014). In India, traditional healers use about 2500 plant species as a regular source of medicine to treat different diseases. However, only a small proportion of medicinal plants (10%) have been studied scientifically (Tapsell et al., 2006). For example, of the plants used to treat microbial infections, an estimated 6% have been screened for specific anti-microbial activities and only a small proportion of these have been studied phytochemically to identify the active constituents and/or blends (Fabrican and Farnsworth, 2001; Tapsell et al., 2006).

The past few decades have experienced an overwhelming increase in global interest on the practice of traditional medicine and its use of medicinal plants to treat illness (Chevallier, 1996). Plant-derived preparations and isolated phytochemicals or their model derivatives may be potentially useful to treat infectious diseases, especially in the light of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms and the need to produce more efficacious and cost-effective antimicrobial agents (Ncube et al., 2008).

The use of antibiotics has revolutionized the treatment of various bacterial infections. However, their indiscriminate use has led to an alarming increase in antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. This necessitates the need for development of novel

antimicrobials (Chopra et al., 1997). One way of preventing antibiotic resistance of pathogenic species is development of new compounds that are not based on existing synthetic antimicrobial agents (Tapsell et al., 2006). Plant-derived traditional medicines can be used to treat different diseases as they contain a variety of secondary metabolites to which the bacterial species may not be resistant. However, the safety, quality and efficacy of some of these preparations have not been validated scientifically.

The antimicrobial properties of Emilia coccinea and its use for therapeutic treatment have been investigated by a number of researchers worldwide. According to earlier reports (Odugberni, 2006), Emilia coccinea is used medicinally for the treatment of syphilis, hernia, gonorrhoea, ulcer, craw-craw, abscesses of the breast, ringworm, lice, measles, cough etc. In Nigeria, the leaves are eaten cooked as salad or spinach and the fresh juice of the leaves is a remedy for sore eyes (Odugberni, 2006).

The second plant leaf Senna tora (originally described by Linne as Cassia tora) is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Its name has been derived from Sinhala language, in which it is called Tora. In Sri Lanka it is easily found in many places. It grows wild in most of the tropics and is considered a weed in many places; its native range is not well known but probably South Asia. It is often confused with Chinese Senna or Sicklepod, S. obtusifolia. If it is given a distinct common name at all, it is called Sickle Wild Sensitive-plant. Seeds can be found in forest and tribal area of India, Sri Lanka, China and other Asian countries. This herb is used in Ayurveda medicine for treatment of swellings. In some parts of Sri Lanka, people add its flowers in food (International Legume Database and Information Service, 2005).

Senna tora was first used medicinally by Arabian physicians in the 9th century A.D. The plant derives its name from the Arabic ^‘sena’ and from the Hebrew word ‘cassi’ which means "peeled back," a reference to its peelable bark. It has long been used in traditional Arabic as well as European medicine, primarily as a cathartic.

The aim of this present study is to assess the antimicrobial activities of Emilia coccinea and Senna tora against selected bacterial pathogens.

1.1 Aims and Objectives

The aims of this research projects are:

1. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Emilia coccinea and Senna tora by
determining the diameter zones of inhibition against five (5) bacterial strains.

2. To determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of the plant leaves if found
active against the selected bacterial pathogens.

3. To screen for the phytochemicals present in the plant.

Buyers has the right to create dispute within seven (7) days of purchase for 100% refund request when you experience issue with the file received. 

Dispute can only be created when you receive a corrupt file, a wrong file or irregularities in the table of contents and content of the file you received. 

ProjectShelve.com shall either provide the appropriate file within 48hrs or send refund excluding your bank transaction charges. Term and Conditions are applied.

Buyers are expected to confirm that the material you are paying for is available on our website ProjectShelve.com and you have selected the right material, you have also gone through the preliminary pages and it interests you before payment. DO NOT MAKE BANK PAYMENT IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE.

In case of payment for a material not available on ProjectShelve.com, the management of ProjectShelve.com has the right to keep your money until you send a topic that is available on our website within 48 hours.

You cannot change topic after receiving material of the topic you ordered and paid for.