Inhibitory and Bactericidal Potential of Some Indigenous Functional Food-Plants Used in the O.R. Tambo District Municipality of South Africa

Collise Njume^1,2*, Bomkazi M. Gqaza³, Grace George³, Nomalungelo I. Goduka¹

¹Centre for Rural Development, Enkululekweni, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa.
²Department of Medical Microbiology, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa.
³Department of Medical Biochemistry, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa.

DOI: 10.4236/jbm.2014.26006                

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem in the management of infectious diseases. African indigenous functional food-plants such as Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum may constitute important sources of phytochemical constituents for the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds against infectious organisms. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial pro- perties of Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum-leaves used as functional food-plants in the O.R. Tambo district municipality of South Africa. Organic and aqueous solvent-extracts of C. album and S. nigrum were tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC127853), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), Escherichia coli (25922) and Enterococcus faecalis (51299) using standard microbiological techniques. Ciprofloxacin was included in all the experimental runs as positive control antibiotic. The aqueous extracts of both plants were the most active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 0 mm - 20 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) values ranging from 0.63 mg/mL - 10 mg/mL. The positive control antibiotic was highly active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 17 mm - 31 mm and MIC50 values from 0.0003 mg/mL - 0.0005mg/mL for all the bacteria tested. Both extracts were bactericidal with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranges from 2.5mg/mL - 20mg/mL. From the results, it can be concluded that both plants possess compounds with antimicrobial properties, thus validating scientifically their use in traditional medicine. However, more studies to document the respective plant-principles responsible for antimicrobial activity of these plants would shed more light on their functional properties.

Keywords

Antimicrobial Resistance, Sensitivity Tests, Indigenous Leafy Vegetables, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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