Studies on the antibacterial activity of Khaya senegalensis [(Desr.) A. Juss)] stem bark extract on Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi [(ex Kauffmann and Edwards) Le Minor and Popoff].

objectiveTo study the phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of the stem bark extracts of Khaya senegalensis (K. senegalensis) against Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi.

methodsThe plant components were extracted using methanol, ethanol and water. The phytochemical screening of the stem bark extracts were carried out using a standard method. The antibacterial assay of the stem bark extracts against Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) using the agar well diffusion method with different concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400 and 500 mg/mL and the corresponding concentrations of the control was carried out and the result compared with a standard antibiotic, amoxicillin as the control.

resultsThe results obtained from the phytochemical screening of the three plant bark extracts of K. senegalensis showed 10 plant secondary metabolites including saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, aldehyde, phlobatannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, cardiac glycoside and anthroquinones. The ethanol and aqueous extracts showed antibacterial activities against S. Typhi at concentration of 50 mg/mL with the zone diameter of inhibition (ZDI) of 14 mm and 15 mm respectively. The ethanol and aqueous extracts also showed zone diameter of inhibition of 23 mm and 25 mm respectively at 250 mg/mL and 27 mm each at 500 mg/mL. The ethanol and aqueous stem bark extracts gave the highest ZDI at 500 mg/mL while 100 mg/mL gave the least ZDI for ethanol extract and 50 mg/mL for the aqueous extract. This was followed by 400 mg/mL that gave 24 mm ZDI of the aqueous extract and 27 mm of the ethanol extract. The methanol extract showed intermediate susceptibility evidenced by ZDI of 10 mm at 100 mg/mL concentration. The methanol extract also showed antibacterial activity of 24 mm ZDI against the test organism at a higher concentration of 250 mg/mL and 26 mm at 500 mg/mL concentration. The methanol, ethanol and aqueous extracts displayed antibacterial activities against S. Typhi with a statistical significant difference at (P≤0.05). The extracts compared favourably with the standard antibiotic, the control. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts was 250, 200, 200 and 100 mg/mL for methanol, ethanol, aqueous extracts and amoxicillin (control) respectively. The minimum lethal concentration of the extracts was 250, 250, 400 and 200 mg/mL for methanol, ethanol, aqueous extracts and control respectively.

conclusionsThe antibacterial properties of K. senegalensis stem bark extract can be harnessed for the production of new antibiotics or the enhancement of already existing antibiotics.