World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF Cnidoscolus aconitifolius LEAF EXTRACT AND HONEY AGAINST Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae ISOLATED FROM SPUTUM SAMPLE

Hanson Ige Ogbu* and Emeka Claudius Igboanusi

ABSTRACT

Plant materials and their products are increasingly being used across the world as natural substitute for treating various ailment. The role of these plants in pharmaceutical, alternative medicine and natural therapy have been well documented. However, there’s the need to carry out further investigation on such plants to provide basis for their acceptable use as well as improve the quality of healthcare. Additionally, the prominence of multidrug resistant bacterial strains, has necessitated the search for alternative natural therapy. In the present study phytochemical and antimicrobial of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf is investigated against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates using standard methods. C. aconitifolius leaf extract was prepared using methanol and water as solvents. Carbohydrate, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins were detected in both methanol and aqueous extract. According to the findings of antimicrobial assay, honey produced the highest zone of inhibition of 12.7, 11.5 mm respectively against K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae. Both aqueous and methanol extract in combination with honey produced satisfactory sensitivity, while extract alone showed relatively poor antimicrobial activity against the two isolates. The variable sensitivity to extract, honey, extract/honey combination seems to relate to the different resistance levels between the microbial species. While the antimicrobial effect of extract/honey combination may be attributed to the improved absorption of bioactive compounds in combination than when they are given in isolation. The study highlights the need to further explore the use of plant derived compounds in the fight against illnesses caused by resistant bacterial strains.

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