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ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants are potential sources of new antimicrobials and with renewed interest in phytochemicals, avalanche of researches have been undertaken to screen antimicrobial activities of these plants. Gongronema latifolium, commonly called ‘utazi’ and ‘arokeke’ in the South Western and South Eastern parts of Nigeria, is a tropical rainforest plant primarily used as spice and vegetable in traditional folk medicine. The phytochemicals and antimicrobial properties of Gongronema latifolium was carried out using standard microbiological method. The bacterial isolates were confirmed using morphological and biochemical characterization. CLSI methods was used in antimicrobial analysis of Utazi leaf extract against upper respiratory tract infection isolates. The phytochemicals present in the utazi leaf extract were flavonoid, alkanoid, tanins and saponin. The result obtained showed that ethanol was a better solvent for extraction as it showed a better inhibition compared to aqueous. Staphylococcus aureus in this study was better inhibited by 100% extract of alcohol with 20mm zone diameter. All the concentrations from 12.5% to 100% was able to inhibit the growth of staphylococcus in this study. Streptococcus sp in this was also inhibited by both ethanolic and aqueous extracts. The inhibition zones at 100% extract was recorded at 12mm for both extract. Escherichia coli and klebsiella pneumonia were also inhibited by the extracts of utazi although a better zone was obtained at 25% concentration and above in all concentration. The minimum inhibitory concentration obtained in this study showed that staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp in this study had the minimum inhibitory concentration at 25mg/ml while Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia had the minimum inhibitory concentration at 25mg/ml for alcohol and 12.5mg/ml for aqueous. The minimum bacterial concentration in this study was obtained at 50mg/ml for E.coli and Klebsiella pneumonia and 25mg/ml for both Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp. Utazi is known as a safe antibiotic that will give the same results as synthetic and non-herbal antibiotics but without the attendant side effects, for combating staph-related infections even if it acts at a slower pace.
