Abstract
The antibacterial activities of three Croton species were compared using bioautography and the serial
microdilution methods. The methanolic extracts of all the species had low activity against Escherichia coli. The
highest activity was observed with Croton megalobotrys against Enterococcus faecalis with a minimal inhibitory
concentration (MIC) value of 0.02 mg/ml. Croton steenkapianus extracts were the least active of the species
investigated, only managing an MIC value of 0.625 mg/ml against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Croton
megalobotrys leaf powder was serially extracted using solvents of various polarities. The lowest MIC value (0.06
mg/ml) of the serially extracted fractions was observed with acetone against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The
liquid-liquid fractions of the methanol extract of Croton megalobotrys were also tested. The lowest MIC value of
0.02 mg/ml was observed with n-hexane fraction against Enterococcus faecalis. The carbon tetrachloride
fraction was further fractionated using column chromatography with silica as the immobile phase. The resulting
seven fractions were tested for activity following the bioassay-guided practice, and it emerged that the first three
fractions had active compounds against Staphylococcus aureus when the bioautography method was used.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001203 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Selowa, SC, Shai, LJ, Masoko, P, Mokgotho, MP, Magano, SR |
| Publisher | African Journal of traditional complementary and Alternative Medicines |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | ISSN 0189-6016©2009 |
| Relation | African Erthno Medicines |
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