Antimicrobial And Phytochemical Effect Of Urtica Dioica And Phyllanthus Niruri On Some Human Pathogens

 ABSTRACT

Four microorganisms causing gastroenteritis were used for the study of the antimicrobial effect of Urtica dioica and Phyllanthus niruri extracts.The bacterial pathogens used were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus while the fungal pathogens used were Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger.The solvents used for extraction of active components of the plants(whole plant)were cold water,ethanol,methanol,and acetone extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activities.The antimicrobial activities of cold water,ethanol,methanol and acetone of Urtica dioica and Phyllanthus niruri was evaluated in growth using well and disc diffusion method; against isolated pathogen of E.coli,Staphylococcus aureus,Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans.All extracts established significant antimicrobial activities against tested pathogens.In water extract the inhibition zone against E.coli is in the range of 10.67mm for phyllanthus niruri 13.67mm for Urtica dioica and 14.67mm for phyllanthus niruri and 15.67mm for Urtica dioica in ethanol extract,in  methanol 16.67mm for Urtica dioica and 15.33mm for phyllanthus niruri,in acetone extract is 10.67mm in Urtica dioica and 12.00mm in phyllanthus niruri.In this case,the extract of Urtica dioica caused more inhibition than the phyllanthus niruri.The activities of water extract against Staphylococcus aureus was 9.67mm in Urtica dioica and 13.67mm in phyllanthus niruri by water extract of Urtica dioica plant while the ethanol extract is from 13.67mm for Urtica dioica and 18.67mm for phyllanthus niruri,in methanol 16.67mm in Urtica dioica and 19.33mm in phyllanthus niruri and in acetone is 13.67mm in Urtica dioica and 14.67mm in phyllanthus niruri.In Aspergillus niger the water extrct is 11.67mm for Urtica dioica and 16.67mm for phyllanthus niruri and for methanol extract 15.67mm in Urtica dioica and 15.33mm in phyllanthus niruri.In Candida albicans the water extract is 10.67mm for Urtica dioica and 14.67mm for phyllanthus niruri while ethanol is 17.67mm for Urtica dioica and 20.33mm for phyllanthus niruri.This shows that both ethanol,methanol and acetone extract of phyllanthus niruri is more potent against Staphylococcus aureus,Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans than Urtica dioica plant.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Title Page ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgements ﾿ iv

Table of Contents ﾿ v

List of Tables ﾿ vii

List of Figures  ﾿ viii

Abstract ﾿ ix

CHAPTER ONE ﾿

1.0 ﾿ Introduction ﾿ 1

1.1 ﾿ Aims and objectives ﾿ 3

CHAPTER TWO ﾿

2.0 ﾿ Literature review ﾿ 4

2.1       Origin of urtica dioica and phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 4

2.2       Herbs and its uses ﾿ 7

2.3 ﾿ Antimicrobial activity ﾿ 7

2.4 ﾿ Scientific classification of phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 8

2.5 ﾿ Scientific classification of Urtica dioica ﾿ 9

2.6 ﾿ Uses and application of phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 10

2.7      Uses and application of Urtica dioica ﾿ 11

2.7.1  Application of Urtica dioica                                                                                      ﾿ 12

 2.8 Bacteria ﾿ 12

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ﾿ Materials and Methods ﾿ 14

3.1 ﾿ Materials ﾿ 14

3.2 ﾿ Methods ﾿ 14

3.2.1 ﾿ Samples Preparation ﾿       ﾿ 14

3.3       Preparation of extracts                                                                                            ﾿ 15

3.3.1    Aqueous extract preparation on Uritica dioica ﾿ 15

3.3.2    Aqueous extract preparation on phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 15

3.3.3   Ethanol extract preparation on Uritica dioica ﾿ 16

3.3.4  Ethanol extract preparation on phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 16

3.3.5    Methanol extract of Uritica dioica ﾿ 16

3.3.6    Methanol extract of phyllanthus niruri ﾿ 17

3.3.7    Acetone Extract of Uritica dioica ﾿ 17

3.3.8    Acetone Extract of phyllanthus niruri                                                                      ﾿ 17

3.4      Test for potency of organisms                                                                                  ﾿ 18

3.5       Culture preparation                                                                                                  ﾿ 18

3.5.1    Agar well diffusion method                                                                                      ﾿ 18

3.5.2    Disc diffusion method                                                                                              ﾿ 19

3.6       Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)                                    ﾿ 19 

3.7       Phytochemical screening                                                                                          ﾿ 20

3.7.1    Qualitative analysis of phytochemical                                                                      ﾿ 20  

3.7.2    Qualitative determination of the phytochemical                                                      ﾿ 22

3.8       Control experiment                                                                                                  ﾿ 29

3.8.1    ANOVA                                                                                                                    ﾿ 29  

CHAPTER FOUR ﾿

4.0 ﾿ RESULTS                                                                                                          ﾿ 30  ﾿

CHAPTER FIVE ﾿

5.0 ﾿ Discussion                                                                                                                ﾿ ﾿ 37

5.2 ﾿ Conclusion                                                                                                              ﾿ 40             

References                                                                                                                              ﾿ 42

Appendix                                                                                                                              ﾿ 46