Antibacterial Activity Of Costus Afer (Monkey Sugar Cane) On Pathogenic Microorganisms

ABSTRACT

The antibacterial activities of ethanolic extracts of Costus afer stem and leaves were investigated on some pathogenic organisms namely; E. coli, Salmonella sp, Shigella sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus epidermidis using the disc diffusion method. Medicinal plants play a great role in human life and have substances that are used for traditional therapeutic and modern drug production purposes in primary health care delivery. Costus afer as a medicinal plant is commonly used for traditional therapeutic and other socio cultural purposes such as wrapping of indigenous food items, mat making, feed to small ruminants treatment of cough, measles, malaria, eye defects, hunch back and evil repellents. The major constituent of C. afer for modern drug production are steroidal sapogenins, saponins aferosides A.C and dioscin.      

Table of contents

Title page ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgements ﾿ iv

Table of contents ﾿ v

List of table ﾿ vi

Abstract ﾿ vii 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 ﾿ Introduction And Literature Review ﾿ 1

1.1 ﾿ Introduction ﾿ 1

1.1.2 ﾿ Aims and Objective of the Study ﾿ 3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review ﾿ 4

2.1 Costus afer ﾿ 5

2.1.1 ﾿ Growth and Development ﾿ 5

2.1.2 Ecology ﾿ 6

2.1.3 Propagation and Planting ﾿ 6

2.1.4 Diseases and Pests ﾿ 6

2.1.5 Harvesting ﾿ 6

2.2 Phytochemical of Costus afer ﾿ 6

2.3 Contributions of Medicinal Plants to Public Health. ﾿ 7

2.4 Photochemistry of Medicinal Plants. ﾿ 7

2.4.1 Alkaloids ﾿ 8

2.4.2 Anthraquinones ﾿ 8

2.4.3 Flavonoids ﾿ 9

2.4.4 Tannins ﾿ 9

2.4.5 Saponins ﾿ 10

2.3 Pathogenicity of the Test Organisms ﾿ 11

2.3.1 ﾿ Staphylococcus aureus ﾿ 11

2.3.2 Escherichia coli ﾿ 12

2.3.3 Shigella spp ﾿ 14

2.3.4 Salomonella spp ﾿ 15

2.3.5 Staphylococcus epidermidis ﾿ 15

3.3.6 Streptococcus spp ﾿ 16

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ﾿        Methods And Materials ﾿ 18

3.1 ﾿ Materials ﾿ 18

3.2 ﾿ Methods ﾿ 18

3.2.1 ﾿ Preparation of Crude Extracts of the Plant Materials. ﾿ 18

3.2.2 ﾿ Sterilization of Glass Wares ﾿ 19

3.2.3 ﾿ Preparation of Culture Media And Sterility Test. ﾿ 19

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 ﾿ Results ﾿ 20

4.1 ﾿ Yield of Plant Extracts ﾿ 21

4.2 ﾿ The Result of the Gram Staining And The Biochemical Tests. ﾿ 21

4.3 ﾿ Antibacterial Sensitivity Assay of Different Extracts ﾿ 21

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 ﾿ Discussion ﾿ 24

5.1 ﾿ Conclusion ﾿ 25

5.2 ﾿ Recommendation ﾿ 25

References

Appendix