Antimicrobial and in vitro enzyme inhibitory activities of selected Zimbabwean ethno-veterinary medicinal plants used in folklore animal wound management

Abstract

Plants are often justifiably used in folklore medicine. A determination of the antibacterial, antifungal and anti-enzymatic activities of the extracts of Cissus quadrangularis, Adenium multiflorum and Erythrina abyssinica. Microdilution bioassays were used for both antibacterial and antifungal activities. Bacteria used are Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Brevibacillus agri and Staphylococcus epidermis. Fungi used are Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis. Non-radioactive HIV-RT colorimetric ELISA was used for the anti-reverse transcriptase activities. E. abyssinica leaf and A. multiflorum crude extract fractions exhibited the best antibacterial and antifungal properties. Ethanol extract fractions gave the best antimicrobial properties. All plants exhibited good anti-reverse transcriptase-1 activities. Erythrina abyssinica leaf extracts gave the best anti-tyrosinase activity followed by E. abyssinica bark then A. multiflorum. Crude extracts of E. abyssinica leaf and bark gave the best anti-α-glucosidase activities and C. quadrangularis leaf also gave good activity.