Borassus aethiopum Fruit Pulp Extract has Antimicrobial Activity on Selected Clinical Microbial Strains

Background: Antimicrobials of plant origin have a huge therapeutic prospective and can efficiently be used to treat infectious diseases with reduced or no side effects as related to using synthetic antimicrobials. A potential plant-based antimicrobial is that obtained from Borassus aethiopum. The anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, antipyretic and anti-venom properties of extracts of B. aethiopum plant have been reported in literature these past few years.

Objective: The antimicrobial property and phytoconstituents of aqueous ripe fruit extract of B. aethiopum were investigated.

Methods: The ripe fruit extract of B. aethiopum was prepared by macerating the mesocarps of the fruits and then screened for the presence of phytochemicals using standard methods. The extract’s antimicrobial activity was studied by agar well diffusion method against Salmonella typhi ATCC 19430, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 33495, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus saprophyticus ATCC 15305 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Chloramphenicol mixed with tetracycline was used as a standard antibacterial agent (Positive control). Sterile distilled water was used as diluent for reconstituting the aqueous extract.

Results: The aqueous extract revealed the presence of tannins, terpenoids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. The antibacterial activity revealed that at 30%, 40% and 50% w/v (0.3g/ml, 0.4g/ml and 0.5g/ml) of the extract, all the test bacterial strains were susceptible to the aqueous ripe fruit extracts of B. aethiopum.

Conclusion: Ripe fruit extracts of B. aethiopum was rich in phytochemicals and exhibited potential antibacterial activity against all seven bacterial strains used.