Efficacy of 13 Medicinal Plants Used by Indigenous Communities around Lake Victoria, Kenya, against Tuberculosis, Diarrhoea Causing Bacteria and Candida Albicans

Aims: To investigate Crude methanol extracts of 13 medicinal plants obtained through an ethnobotanical survey against 4 strains of mycobacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. kansasii, M. fortuitum and M. smegmatis), Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans. Materials and Methods: Antimycobacterial susceptibility tests were carried out using BACTEC MGIT 960 system. Evaluation of antibacterial, antifungal and phytochemical properties was done using standard procedures. Results and Discussion: All the plant extracts inhibited mycobacterial growth at 2.0 mg/mL. Carissa edulis and Vernonia amygdalina were the most potent against M. smegmatis and M. fortuitum, completely inhibiting their Mariita et al. /International Journal Of Pharmacy&Technology IJPT | Sep-2010 | Vol. 2 | Issue No.3 | 771-791 Page 772 growth (Zero GUs) at all concentrations used. Toddalia asiatica had high inhibitory activity (Zero GUs) against M. tuberculosis and M. kansasii at all concentrations used. There was a significant difference on general antibacterial results of the extracts at P≤0.05 against other test cultures. The most potent antibacterial extract was from Toddalia asiatica with an MIC and MBC of 9.375 mg/mL. Carissa edulis and Momordica charantia both produced MICs and MBCs of 37.5 mg/mL against S. typhi and S. aureus. Lantana camara produced MICs and MBCs of 37.5 mg/mL against both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Preliminary phytochemistry identified six phytochemicals with flavonoids being found in all extracts. Conclusion: The data suggests that methanolic extracts of some of the plant species can be used against several microbial agents. Further work on them is underway.