THE ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF THE FRESH BARK EXTRACT OF Spondias mombin Linn. ON SOME SELECTED MICROORGANISMS FOUND IN THE MOUTH

ABSTRACT

The present study attempts to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of the fresh bark extract of Spondias mombin in inhibiting and controlling the excessive growth of microorganism in the normal floral of the oral cavity. The fresh bark of Spondias mombin tree was obtained in the front of the new Life Sciences 500 lecture theatre, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo state. The respective weight of the fresh bark was obtained using a sensitive weigh to got 50 gram (g), 100 gram and 150 gram of the fresh bark of Spondias mombin. Then it was rinsed three fold using distilled water. The various quantities of 50 gram, 100 gram and 150 gram were then boiled with one litre (1L) of distilled water in a pressure pot respectively for 15 minutes each. The boiled extract was then allowed to cool and it was then filtered into a collecting bowl, from the collecting bowl a syringe was used to measure 5 ml of each concentration and was transferred to each of the empty petri dishes, before the agar was poured aseptically into the petri dishes. The different concentrations of the test plant extract were found to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi which was exhaled from human mouth into the plate. The control showed uncountable growth of microorganisms such as Streptococcus Spp., Staphylococcus spp. and other fungal growth forms were found growing in the malt extract agar concentration mixed. There was no significant difference between malt extract agar concentration mixed with the plant extract at lower concentrations and the control which is malt extract agar without the plant extract. But there was significant difference between the nutrient agar mixed with the plant extract and Nutrient agar without extract. The antimicrobial action of the fresh bark extract of Spondias mombin is due to its array of biologically active phytochemicals which includes; phenols, triterpenoids, and sterols important of the plant. This study revealed that the plant extracts possessed antibacterial and antifungal activities against some highly infectious clinical floral pathogens and this justified their use in ethno-medicine for treatment of infectious diseases.