Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activities of Bidens pilosa L. and Tridax procumbens L. on Skin Pathogens

December 2017 Project: Comparative Antimicrobial, anticholera and anticancer activities of Tridax procumbens and Bidens pilosa Oluwole OwoyemiOluwole OwoyemiMuftau K Oladunmoye Abstract and figures The antibacterial activities of the plants used by Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) in the construction of its nest were studied. The quadrat sampling results of various brown rats' nests sampled revealed the use of Bidens pilosa L. and Tridax procumbens L. leaves by R. norvegicus (Brown rat) to constructing its nest. Hence, these plants were harvested and extracted with solvents of distinct polarities and the extracts were qualitatively and quantitatively screened for phytochemicals which revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and cardiac glycosides in both plants. The antibacterial activities of the ethanolic, aqueous and chloroform extracts of these plants at different concentrations of 50 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL and 200 mg/mL were evaluated on clinical skin pathogens and their corresponding type cultures using agar well diffusion method. The ethanoic extract of T. procumbens at 200 mg/mL exhibited broad spectrum activities on all the test bacteria except B. subtilis. The zones of inhibition of T. procumbens extracts on the test bacteria at 200mg/mL ranged from 5.00±0.00 mm to 15.20±0.20 mm, the lowest inhibitory effect was observed on Escherichia coli, while the highest was observed on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300. It was observed that the Gram positive organisms were more susceptible to the extracts compared to the Gram negative organisms. However, B. pilosa extracts had more antibacterial activities on Gram negative organisms compared to Gram positive organisms. The results of this study revealed the therapeutic potentials of these plants selected by the brown rat's in controlling pathogenic microorganisms from its environment especially skin-Int. 25 related infectious microorganisms su… Figure content upload