Antimicrobial activities of crude ethanolic extract of xylopia aethiopica

Crude ethanolic extract of Xylopia aethiopica traditionally used as condiment in food and against bacterial infections, cough and inflammations was evaluated invitro for its antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus aurum, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and a fungus pathogen Candida albicans, so as to justify its medicinal activities and validate its traditional use scientifically. The agar diffusion technique was used to determine the zone of inhibition and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) respectively. The extract was active against E. coli, S. typhi, Candida albicans, B. aurium with 15mg/ml MIC, though was most active against S .typhi and B. aurum and compared favourably and significantly with ampicillin. X. aethiopica did not show any activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis. This study has provided relevant scientific information for the potential use of X. aethiopica for antimicrobial activities. It therefore suggests that X. aethiopica contain a broad spectrum antibiotic compound, which if properly harnessed can be used in managing an array of pathogens.