Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of medicinal plants from the Ivory Coast

A total of 148 crude ethanol extracts from 115 plant species were tested in vitro against Gram‐negative strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and the Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis and two species were particularly active against the fungi: Dioscorea minutiflora and Erythrina vogelii.

Abstract

A total of 148 crude ethanol extracts from 115 plant species were tested in vitro against Gram-negative strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Moreover, they were submitted to antifungal assays against Candida albicans and Cladosporium cucumerinum, a human and a plant pathogenic microorganism, respectively, known to be good indicators of antifungal activity. No activity was detected against the Gram-negative bacteria, while 14.8% and 10.8% of the extracts showed Gram-positive bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects on S. aureus and E. faecalis, respectively. An antifungal activity was observed with 15 extracts (10.1%). Two species were particularly active against the fungi: Dioscorea minutiflora and Erythrina vogelii. The young tubers of D. minutiflora contain metabolites with a specific effect on fungi and were not active against the bacteria. On the other hand, E. vogelii was highly effective against the Gram-positive bacteria and the fungi.