Antibacterial activity of Securidaca longipedunculata stem bark against some clinical bacterial isolates

Abstract

Securidaca longipedunculata is a multipurpose plant with a long history of use in Nigerian and African traditional medicine. The present study was aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of the aqueous stem bark extract of this important plant against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The result shows that the extract was active against all the tested bacterial isolates; the highest activity was recorded against Staphylococcus aureus (36 mm) and lowest activity against Shigella dysenteriae (24 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration was observed within the range of 2.5-5 mg/ml, while the minimum bactericidal concentration was observed within the range of 5-10 mg/ml. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of anthraquinones, saponins, phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids and flavonoids. The study has supported the use of this plant in the management of bacterial diseases and could serve as a potential source of antibacterial drugs of plant origin.