Preliminary Phytochemical and Antibacterial Activity of Ethanolic and Aqueous Stem Bark Extracts of Psidium guajava

Phytochemical constituent and antimicrobial properties of guava extracts of east Hararghe of Oromia, Ethiopia

Background

There is a need for the screening more effective, affordable and readily available antimicrobial substances from local medicinal plants or herbs as the pathogenic bacteria are developing the resistance to common antibiotics. Guava (Psidium guajava L.) has antimicrobial activities and it is easily accessible to local populace in tropical region. Antimicrobial properties of guava extracts are attributed to the presence of different phytochemical constituents. The fact that phytochemicals’ constituents vary as a result of geographical locations and literatures about Ethiopian guava with respect to phytochemicals’ composition and content, and antimicrobial activities are hardly available, there is a need to analyze phytochemicals and antimicrobial properties of the Ethiopian guava from Oromia Regional State, Babile and Gursum Districts against Salmonella Typhi, Shigella boydii, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis.

Methods

Extraction was done by maceration. Qualitative analysis of phytochemicals was carried out using standard protocol and quantitative phytochemical determination was conducted using spectrophotometric and gravimetric methods. Antimicrobial activities were determined by disc diffusion and broth dilution method.

Results

Qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponin, steroids and tannin, but the absence of flavonoid and phlobatannin in all Babile and Gursum leaf and bark extracts. Gravimetric measurement showed the highest terpenoid content of 105.00 ± 8.66 mg extract/g of powder in Gursum leaf extract. Similarly, spectrophotometric measurement showed the highest total phenol content of 0.205 ± 0.01 mg/g of the extracts as Tannic Acid Equivalent in Gursum leaf extract. Antimicrobial activity tests revealed that Babile leaf extract showed the highest 13.0 ± 6.79 mm zone of inhibition against Shigella boydii compared to that of other guava extracts. Babile leaf extract showed the lowest 2.375 ± 0.177 mg/ml minimum inhibitory concentration against Shigella boydii, while Gursum leaf extract showed the lowest 1.875 ± 0.884 mg/ml MIC against Salmonella Typhi.

Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, steroids and tannins in the all extracts, but the absence of flavonoids and phlobatannins in the all extracts and terpenoids in Babile extracts. The highest content of alkaloid and terpenoid (98.67 ± 14.43, 93.33 ± 8.82 mg extract/g of powder, respectively) were found in Babile leaf and Gursum bark extracts, respectively. Antimicrobial activity tests revealed that Babile leaf extracts showed higher zone of inhibition against all clinical isolates than that of Gursum leaf extracts, but Babile bark extracts showed lower zone of inhibition against all clinical isolates than that of Gursum bark extracts. Babile leaf extracts showed the highest zone of inhibition (13.0 ± 6.79 mm) against S. boydii, and Babile bark extracts showed the lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (1.250 ± 0.001 mg/ml) against S. Typhi.

Conclusion

Guava extracts from different location could be source of natural antimicrobial agents with different composition and content. In vivo antimicrobial activity, and isolation, identification and synergy of specific active compound that responsible for the antibacterial activity should be evaluated.

The multi-faceted potential of plant-derived metabolites as antimicrobial agents against multidrug-resistant pathogens

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are currently causing serious problems globally in the medical setting. Improper and extensive usage of antibiotics results in a selective pressure supporting the rise of antibiotic-resistant microbes. Many key cellular bacterial components, including enzymes and small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), and their involvement in MDR have been well studied, but exploiting such components in eradicating these pathogens requires further study. Delineation of many mechanisms that underpin the known MDR pathways necessitates urgent development of new specific strategies to control the rise of MDR pathogens. Botanical derivatives are comparatively safer than currently used antibiotics and exert multiple therapeutic benefits associated with their high efficacy. Numerous plant-derived compounds display synergistic activity with antibiotics against many MDR pathogens. Such plant derivatives include alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and tannins. A synthetic biological approach, e.g., metabolic engineering of secondary metabolites, can be utilized to exploit the natural metabolic pathways against MDR microbes. In this review, we focused on the major threats of antibiotic resistance, and the utilization of plant-derived compounds as alternative therapeutic agents to limit the rise of MDR pathogens.