In vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Tanzanian Bersama abyssinica

Never Zekeya, Francis Shahada, Musa Chacha

Abstract: Drug resistance threatens effective management of an increasing rate of microbial infections particularly in low income countries where there is limited access of antimicrobials hence this study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Tanzanian Bersama abyssinica. Plant materials were sequentially extracted based on polarity and extracts obtained were tested against eight bacterial and two fungal species using micro dilution method in triplicates. At least all extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against selected microbes with the lowest Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.78 and 0.19 mg/ml in bacteria and fungi respectively. However the methanolic and ethyl acetate fractions exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against tested bacterial and fungal strains. The present study suggest that methanolic extracts of Bersama abyssinica leaves, stem bark and root bark could be potential sources of antimicrobials since they exhibited significant activity against resistant bacterial and fungal strains.

Keywords: Bersama abyssinica, antibacterial, antifungal activity, methanolic extracts, microbial resistance