ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF BOWSTRING HEMP (SANSEVIERIA LIBERICA) AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

ABSTRACT

The antibacterial investigation  of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Sansevieria liberica carried out in this study, involved the determination of the sensitivity pattern  and determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration of the dried leaf extracts against four pathogenic bacteria. Also phytochemical tests were carried out to determine the secondary metabolites present in the extracts. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts were screened for antibacterial activity, the ethanolic extract exhibit antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli) bacteria which were comparable to that of chloramphenicol, while the aqueous extract showed no activity. Phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extract showed the presence of various bioactive substances such as, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins. The minimum inhibitory values for the ethanolic extract (12.5-50 mg/ml) where higher (indicating lower activity) than the corresponding  control drug (0.45-0.55 mg/ml) which was lower(indicating higher activity), probably because of slow diffusion rates of the active constituents of the extract in agar.This results from this study showed that the dried leaves of Sansevieria liberica possess antibacterial activity.  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                                                                i

Certification                                                                                                                           ii

Dedication                                                                                                                              iii

Acknowledgments                                                                                                                  iv

Table of content                                                                                                                      v

List of tables                                                                                                                           vii

List of figures                                                                                                                         viii           

Abstract                                                                                                                                  ix       

CHAPTER ONE

 Introduction                                                                                                                           1

1.1  Background of study                                                                                                        1         

1.2  Objectives of the study                                                                                                    3

1.3  Significance of the study                                                                                                 3

1.4  Statement of problem                                                                                                      3

CHAPTER TWO                                                                 

 Literature Review                                                                                                                  4

2.1  Origin and description of Sansevieria liberica                                                               4

2.2  Ecology of Sansevieria liberica                                                                                      4

2.3  Phytochemical constituents and chemical compositions                                                 5

       of Sansevieria liberica

2.4  Classification of some phytochemicals                                                                           5

2.5  Indigenous uses of Sansevieria liberica                                                                          8

2.6  Therapeutic uses of Sansevieria liberica                                                                        8

2.7  Prospects of Sansevieria liberica                                                                                    9

2.8  Molluscicidal activity                                                                                                      9

2.9  Pathogenesis of test organisms                                                                                        9

CHAPTER THREE

 Materials and Methods                                                                                                          13

3.1  Sample collection and identification                                                                               13

3.2  Test organisms                                                                                                                 13

3.3  Extraction                                                                                                                        13

3.4  Qualitative phytochemical screening                                                                              14

3.5  Biochemical test                                                                                                              15

3.6  Determination of antibacterial activity                                                                           16

3.7  Agar well diffusion method                                                                                             16

3.8  Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration                                                     16                                                                                                                   

CHAPTER FOUR

Results                                                                                                                                    18

4.1  Yield of extracts                                                                                                              18       

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendation                                                                      25

5.1  Discussion                                                                                                                                                                                    25

5.2  Conclusion                                                                                                                       26

5.3  Recommendation                                                                                                            27

References

LIST OF TABLES                                                    

Table 4.1:  Yield of plant extracts                                                                                          19

Table 4.2:  Results of phytochemical analysis of the dried                                                    20

                  leaves of Sansevieria liberica

Table 4.3:  Sensitivity Pattern for the Test Bacteria                                                              21

Table 4.4:  Inhibition zone diameter (mm) of extracts of dried leaves                                22

                   of Sansevieria liberica

Table 4.5:  Inhibition zone diameter (mm) for the control:                                                   23

                   Chloramphenicol

Table 4.6:  Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (mg/ml)                                                       24

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Fresh leaves of Sansevieria liberica               28

CHAPTER ONE

                                                            INTRODUCTION    

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Infectious diseases are the world`s leading cause of premature deaths, killing about 50,000 people every day. Morbidity and mortality due to diarrohea continues to be a major problem in many developing countries especially children. Many bacteria have potentials that can be exploited for human benefits, while some can cause infections to man, animals, and plants. Infectious due to a variety of bacterial etiological agents such as pathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas species, Klebisella species are most common.

In recent years, drug resistant to human pathogenic bacteria have been commonly reported from all over the world (Piddock and Wise, 1989; Singh et al., 1992; Mulligen et al., 1993). With the continous use of antibiotics, bacteria have become resistant. In addition to the problem, antibiotics are sometimes associated with adverse effects on host which include hypersensitivity, depletion of beneficial gut and mucosal microorganisms, immunosuppression, and allergic reaction (Lopez et al., 2001). This has created immense clinical problem in the treatment of infectious diseases (Javis, 1994). Therefore there is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. One approach is to screen local medicinal plants for possible antimicrobial properties.

Nature has long been an important source of medicinal agents. An impressive number of modern drugs have been isolated or derived from natural source based on their used in traditional medicine. The use of medicinal plants as a source of relief from illness can be traced back over five millennia to written documents of the early civilization in China, India, and the North East, but it is doubtless an art as old as mankind. Plant materials remain an important resource to combat serious diseases in the world. According to World Health Organization (1993), 80% of the world`s population is dependent on the traditional medicine and a major part of the therapies involves the use of plant extracts in their active constituents. Yet a scientific study of the plants to determine their antimicrobial active compounds is a comparatively new field. The traditional medicinal methods especially the use of medicinal plants still play a vital role to cover the basic health needs in the developing countries.

Sansevieria liberica (family Agavaceae or Ruscaceae or Dracaenaceae) is one of the bowstring hemp species (Evans, 2005), with concave, short petioled leaves that are in part transversely banded with light and dark green, or may be linearly striated with whitish to light green and dark green striations (Reed,1978). The leaves are rich in fibres (Ikewuchi et al., 2010a; Osabohien and Egboh, 2008), protein (Ikewuchi et al., 2010a), potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, biotin, riboflavin (Ikewuchi and Ikewuchi, 2009).

 It is used in traditional medicine to cure numerous ailments like cough, hemorrhoids infections, inflammation, tooth pain, feverish, malaria (Iwu, 2011; Jeff, 2006; Joanne et al., 2009; Kay, 2006). The cure characteristics and physicomechanical properties of natural rubber vulcanizates filled with fibres of Sansevieria liberica and carbon black have been investigated and compared (Osabohien et al., 2007). It amino acids, mineral, and vitamins composition as well as antidiarrhoeal effect have also been studied (Ikewuchi et al., 2009; Adeyemi et al., 2009).

This present study seeks to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the Sansevieria liberica against isolate o f Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are:

i)                Determining the antibacterial effect of Sansevieria liberica on some pathogenic bacteria.

ii)             Identifying the phytochemical constituents responsible for its effect.

iii)           Establishing their effective minimum inhibitory concentration of the plant extract on the pathogenic bacteria.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY                       

Several works have been documented on the medicinal properties of Sansevieria liberica as well as its induced hepatoxicity on rats. However, little or nothing is known about its effects on pathogenic bacteria. This work specifically evaluates the effect of Sansevieria liberica against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

1.4 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Many antibacterical synthetic drugs are currently in use. Reports also show that many strains of bacteria are developing resistance to these drugs; also the possibility of side effects of chemotherapies is there. Researchers tend to look into the plant world for bioactive compounds that can complement or even replace some of the current drugs in use.

This project seeks to study the potential of Sansevieria liberica plant in filling the gaps by understanding of its activity against some known pathogenic bacteria.

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