<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Traditional medicine h...<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Traditional medicine has employed </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Azadirachta</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> to treat a variety of ailments. However, there is little information on the use of this </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">plant in Zambia. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Objective:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> To evaluate the phytochemicals and antibacterial</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Azadirachta</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaf extracts against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Escherichia</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli.</span></i> <b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Materials and Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> This was a laboratory-based experimental study in which ethanol and water were used for extraction by maceration. Phytochemical analysis was then done on the leaf extract. Using the disc diffusion method, varying concentrations of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> aqueous and ethanolic extracts </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were used to test the antibacterial activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">against</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Escherichia</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">co</span></i></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">li</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The sensitivity of the tested microorganisms to aqueous and ethanolic </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">leaf extracts was shown by zones of inhibition after incubation. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> phytochemical screening of the </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaves revealed the presence of phenolics and tannins in both the ethanol and aqueous extract. Saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids were only present in the aqueous extract. While steroids were only present in the ethanol extract. The antibacterial activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaves extract was determined by zones of inhibition which showed that both aqueous and ethanol extracts had activity against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration was determined at 10 mg/mL for the aqueous extract and 20 mg/mL for the ethanol extract. The zones of inhibition increased with concentration. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The extracts of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> displayed antibacterial activity against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in a dose-dependent manner. Comparatively, the aqueous extract produced better antibacterial properties against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> than the ethanolic extract.展开更多
文摘<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Traditional medicine has employed </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Azadirachta</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> to treat a variety of ailments. However, there is little information on the use of this </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">plant in Zambia. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Objective:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> To evaluate the phytochemicals and antibacterial</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Azadirachta</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaf extracts against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Escherichia</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli.</span></i> <b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Materials and Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> This was a laboratory-based experimental study in which ethanol and water were used for extraction by maceration. Phytochemical analysis was then done on the leaf extract. Using the disc diffusion method, varying concentrations of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> aqueous and ethanolic extracts </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were used to test the antibacterial activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">against</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Escherichia</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">co</span></i></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">li</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The sensitivity of the tested microorganisms to aqueous and ethanolic </span><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">leaf extracts was shown by zones of inhibition after incubation. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> phytochemical screening of the </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaves revealed the presence of phenolics and tannins in both the ethanol and aqueous extract. Saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids were only present in the aqueous extract. While steroids were only present in the ethanol extract. The antibacterial activity of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> leaves extract was determined by zones of inhibition which showed that both aqueous and ethanol extracts had activity against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration was determined at 10 mg/mL for the aqueous extract and 20 mg/mL for the ethanol extract. The zones of inhibition increased with concentration. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The extracts of </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">indica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> displayed antibacterial activity against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in a dose-dependent manner. Comparatively, the aqueous extract produced better antibacterial properties against </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">E.</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">coli</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> than the ethanolic extract.
