Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Methanol and Chloroform Extracts of Alchornea Cordifolia Leaves

Abstract

Alchornea cordifolia (Schum & Thonn) Muell Arg. is a member of a plant family called the Euphorbiaceae. It is widely distributed in West and central African countries with the common names: Christmas bush, Christmas tree, dovewood (in English), Arbre de djeman (in French) and Bugi-bugi, bunce, pô d’arco in Portuguese languages [1]. The plant has also been found in other parts of the world including Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, Oceania and North, Central and South Americas. Alchornea cordifolia has been extensively studied and shown to have some activity, in vitro, against seventy four bacterial strains [2,3,4 5]. The antibacterial activities of most medicinal plants depend on certain active principles such as alkaloids, saponnins, tannins, flavonoids and various oils [6]. In south-east Nigeria, the root epidermis is a good bitter while the leaf is used to treat eyes conditions. The leaves or leafy stems have sedative and antispasmodic activities and are used to treat a variety of respiratory problems such as sore throat, cough and bronchitis, to treat genital-urinary problems such as venereal diseases and female sterility, and intestinal problems such as gastric ulcers, diarrhoea, amoebic dysentery and worms [1]. The use of herbs in the treatment of man and animal disease has been practiced before the advent of modern antibiotics [7, 8]. For a plant to be described as a medicinal plant, the species of the plant from which the drugs are obtained, the chemical nature of the extracts from the plants and the purpose for which the plant species is used must be known [9]. In Nigeria, there appears to be an overwhelming increase in the public awareness and usage of herbal medical products in the treatments and/or prevention of diseases [10]. Some parts of plants contain substances that kill or inhibit the growth of some bacteria and so are said to have antibacterial activity [8]. The oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) was shown to have good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis and has been used in the treatment of bronchitis and sinusitis [11]. In Nigeria, there is virtually no documentation of the isolation, selection, and preparation of medicinal plants in the earliest times. Information about them was passed from generation to generation through oral tradition [12]. Iwu [13,14], reported that over 207 herbal remedies from 188 plants genera and Edeoga et al. [15] about 10 medicinal plants from different families have been implicated in Ibo tribal ethno medicine. Suck [16], reported the use of more than 75 pure compounds derived from higher plants as herbal medicines. Aliyu et al. [17] reported the activity of some plant extracts against methicillin-resistance S. aureus. The present study aims at evaluating the antibacterial activity of the leaves of Alchornea cordifolia.