ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF BITTERLEAF(VERNONIA AMYGDALINA) AQUEOUS AND ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
Abstract
Medicinal plants are widely used in traditional medicine because of their therapeutic properties. Among such plants, bitterleaf (Vernonia amygdalina) is known for its medicinal value and has been used in the treatment of various infections and diseases. This study investigates the antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of bitterleaf on Staphylococcus aureus.
Fresh bitterleaf leaves were collected, washed, dried, and processed into powder. The powdered leaves were extracted separately using water and ethanol. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was tested against Staphylococcus aureus using standard microbiological methods such as agar well diffusion. Different concentrations of the extracts were used to determine their inhibitory effect on the test organism.
The findings are expected to reveal that both aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of bitterleaf possess antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The ethanolic extract may show higher inhibitory activity than the aqueous extract due to better extraction of active phytochemical compounds.
The study concludes that bitterleaf has antibacterial potential and may serve as a natural source of antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus aureus. It recommends further studies on purification, dosage, and pharmaceutical applications of the plant extract.
Full-Text Access Notice
In accordance with the NERD Policy on promoting peer-reviewed publication, public access to the full text of a project, thesis or dissertation is restricted for three years, allowing the author and supervisors sufficient time to pursue peer-reviewed publication.
During this period, researchers with legitimate academic or research purposes may request authorisation directly from the author to enable NERD to release the indexed full texts of the work using the form below.