Lino Apak, Deogracious Olila
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala.
Afr Health Sci. 2006 Mar;6(1):31-5. doi: 10.5555/afhs.2006.6.1.31.
Nearly all cultures from ancient times to the present day have used plants as a source of medicines. As a result, different remedies tended to develop in different parts of the world. Current strategies to overcome the global problem of antimicrobial resistance include research in finding new and innovative antimicrobials from plants.
To determine the antibacterial activity of extracts of Annona senegalensis, Securidacca longipendiculata and Steganotaenia araliacea, plants which are used in Eastern Uganda for the treatment of diarrhea and wound infections.
The root barks of these plants were collected, sun-dried, pounded using pestles and wooden mortars. Water and methanol extracts were derived and screened. Standard cultures of E. coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 were used in the study. The antibacterial tests used were the agar well diffusion assays. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by cylinder plate technique.
Extracts of Annona senegalensis, Steganotaenia araliacea and Securidaca longipendiculata showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The methanol extract of Securidaca longipediculata was not inhibitory to S.aureus. Steganotaenia araliacea and Securidaca longipediculata (water) extracts were active against all the bacteria tested. The water and methanol extracts of Annona senegalensis did not show inhibitory activity against E. coli. Of the three bacteria studied, Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible to the extracts followed by P. aeruginosa. E. coli was least sensitive to the plant extracts. Annona senegalensis had the lowest MIC against Staphylococcus aureus (62.5 mg/ml); while Steganotaenia araliacea had the highest MIC (250 mg/ml) signifying lower activity.
The root bark extracts of the three plants showed antibacterial activity, justifying their continued use in treatment of bacterial infections.
Further studies are required to isolate and characterise the active phytochemical constituents in the plants. Toxicity studies should be done to determine their safety.
从古至今，几乎所有文化都将植物用作药物来源。因此，不同的治疗方法往往在世界不同地区发展起来。当前克服全球抗菌药物耐药性问题的策略包括从植物中寻找新型抗菌药物的研究。
确定塞内加尔番荔枝、长柄隔蒴苘和刺参的提取物的抗菌活性，这些植物在乌干达东部用于治疗腹泻和伤口感染。
收集这些植物的根皮，晒干，用杵和木臼捣碎。提取并筛选水提取物和甲醇提取物。研究中使用了大肠杆菌ATCC 25922、铜绿假单胞菌ATCC 27853和金黄色葡萄球菌ATCC 25923的标准培养物。所采用的抗菌测试为琼脂孔扩散试验。通过试管平板法测定最低抑菌浓度（MIC）。
塞内加尔番荔枝、刺参和长柄隔蒴苘的提取物对金黄色葡萄球菌有活性。长柄隔蒴苘的甲醇提取物对金黄色葡萄球菌无抑制作用。刺参和长柄隔蒴苘（水）提取物对所有测试细菌均有活性。塞内加尔番荔枝的水提取物和甲醇提取物对大肠杆菌无抑制活性。在所研究的三种细菌中，金黄色葡萄球菌对提取物最敏感，其次是铜绿假单胞菌。大肠杆菌对植物提取物最不敏感。塞内加尔番荔枝对金黄色葡萄球菌的最低抑菌浓度最低（62.5毫克/毫升）；而刺参的最低抑菌浓度最高（250毫克/毫升），表明活性较低。
这三种植物的根皮提取物具有抗菌活性，证明它们在治疗细菌感染方面可继续使用。
需要进一步研究以分离和鉴定这些植物中的活性植物化学成分。应进行毒性研究以确定其安全性。
