In-vitro Phytochemical and Antibacterial Comparative Evaluation of Ocimum gratissimum and Moringa Oleifera leaves on some Enteric Bacteria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lead City University Ibadan
Abstract
The increasing resistance of some enteric bacteria to antibiotics has necessitated the need for non-conventional medicine against them. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity of Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) and Moringa oleifera leaf extracts against clinical isolates, comparing their efficacy with standard antibiotics. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phenols, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids in varying concentrations, with methanol and aqueous extracts showing the highest yields. Quantitative analysis indicated that phenols and glycosides were predominant, particularly in methanol and aqueous extracts. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was tested on some enteric bacteria using different solvent fractions (Methanol, N- Hexane, Chloroform, And Aqeous) at concentrations ranging from 5– 25 µg/mL. Results showed that methanol and aqueous extracts exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones comparable to or greater than some conventional antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone and Ceftazidime). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using agar well diffusion methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were also determined. Phytochemical analysis revealed a higher concentration of phenols and glycosides in both plants, with methanol and water extracts showing the highest total bioactive content. Methanol extracts of M. oleifera exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity (overall mean: 11.92 ± 0.36 cfu/mL), compared to O. gratissimum (15.62 ± 0.59 cfu/mL). Additionally, n-hexane and chloroform extracts of M. oleifera demonstrated superior potency with mean inhibition values of 7.00 ± 0.32 cfu/mL and 10.85 ± 0.42 cfu/mL, respectively. In contrast, water extracts of O.gratissimum showed the highest activity (17.27 ± 0.80 cfu/mL), outperforming M. oleifera (14.56 ± 0.70 cfu/mL). MIC and MBC values supported these results. The overall susceptibility of bacterial isolates to plant extracts was 77.5 %, surpassing the 64.0 % susceptibility recorded for standard antibiotics. These suggest that O. gratissimum and M. oleifera may possess bioactive compounds with promising antibacterial properties.
Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Ocimum gratissimum, phytochemical, antibacterial effect, enteric bacteria
Word Count: 293
Description
Keywords
Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Ocimum gratissimum, phytochemical, antibacterial effect, enteric bacteria
Citation
Kate Turabian