Antimicrobial activities of some Nigerian spices on some pathogens

The aqueous and ethanol extracts of four spices ( Monodora myristica, Piper guineense, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera ) were prepared and the antibacterial properties assessed using the agar diffusion method. The test organisms were Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella pnemonium, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecalis. The susceptibility of the test bacteria strains to various antibiotics was performed. The aqueous extracts had antimicrobial activities on all test organisms used (MIC values of 30-60mg/ml and a range of inhibition, 10-25mm). The ethanol extracts were less sensitive (3.3-26mg/ml on E. feacalis). The phytochemical screening of the potent extracts revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoid and glycosides. The test organisms showed susceptibility to majority of the antibiotics used ranging from an average of 10mm-37mm. The aqueous extracts can be used as an alternative therapy to the use of antibiotics as the zones of inhibition exhibited by the test strains to both were comparable.