Publications

As part of the ongoing search for potent and resistance-free antibacterial medicinal plants, this study aimed toevaluate the antibacterial properties of the plant extract of Vernonia amygdalina, commonly known as bitter leaf.Standard procedures were used to provide a potential cheap alternative to conventional medication for treatingbacterial infections. The aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaves was prepared and subjected to phytochemicalscreening, which revealed the presence of tannins, phlobatannins, saponins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides andalkaloids. The antibacterial activity of the extract was tested against the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcusaureus and the gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli using the agar well diffusionmethod. The extract showed moderate antibacterial activity, exhibiting 10 mm and 8 mm zones of inhibitionagainst S. aureus and P. aeruginosa respectively at a concentration of 20 mg/ml. However, it displayed no activityagainst E. coli. In comparison, the standard antibiotic gentamicin produced larger zones of inhibition of 33.5 mm,27 mm, and 23.5 mm against the respective test organisms. The results suggest that V. amygdalina extract hadgreater antibacterial activity on the gram-positive S. aureus than on the gram-negative microorganisms tested. Thepresence of phytochemicals like tannins, saponins and alkaloids in the extract may contribute to its antibacterialproperties. Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the medicinal potential of V. amygdalina and isolate theactive compounds responsible for the observed antimicrobial effects. Overall, the findings provide a scientific basisfor the traditional use of this plant in treating bacterial infections.