Purpose:
To examine the phytochemical constituents and verify the
ethnomedical claim of Newbouldia laevis (P.Beauv.)
Seeman ex Bureau Bignoniaceae in treating septic wounds
and eye problems.
Methods:
Applying standard methods, the phytochemical
constituents of the stem bark were examined while the
antibacterial potentials of the methanol extract of the
stem bark and its organic solvent fractions were tested
on clinical bacterial isolates from infected wounds and
eyes using the agar - well diffusion method.
Ciprofloxacin and gentamicin were used as standard
controls. The time-kill kinetics of the methanol stem
bark extract and ciprofloxacin were determined using
isolates of Staphyloccocus aureus.
Results:
Phytochemical screening of the stem bark revealed the
presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids
with no traces of cyanogenic glycosides. The 65
bacterial pathogens isolated included Proteus mirabilis
(26.0 %) and Pseudomonas aeurginosa (17.4 %) from
non-diabetic patients’ wounds; Staphylococcus aureus
(32.0 %) and Escherichia coli (16.0%) from diabetic
patients’ wounds; Staphylococcus aureus (35.3%) and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (35.3 %) from infected eyes. The
chloroform fraction was observed to be more active on
Gram- negative organisms while the aqueous fraction was
more active on Gram-positive organisms. Time-kill
kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus showed that the
extract was bactericidal (99.9 % killing) at MIC and 2 x
MIC after 24 and 3 hours, respectively.
Conclusion:
The study has established that the stem bark of
Newbouldia laevis has antibacterial activities against
bacterial isolates from infected wounds and eyes as
claimed in ethnomedicinal practice.
Keywords:
Newbouldia laevis, Antibacterial, Phytochemical, Wound
isolates, Eye isolates.
