African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12474

Full Length Research Paper

Antimicrobial properties of tropical plants against 12 pathogenic bacteria isolated from aquatic organisms

Lee Seong Wei*, Najiah Musa, Chuah Tse Sengm, Wendy Wee and Noor Azhar Mohd Shazili
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science, University of Malaysia, Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 17 January 2008
  •  Published: 04 July 2008

Abstract

Disk diffusion technique was used to determine the antibacterial activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of edible tropical plant against 12 clinical and pathogenic bacterial strains isolated from aquatic animals. They were Vibrio alginolyticusVibrio parahaemolyticusVibrio harveyiVibrio vulnificusVibrio choleraeEscherichia coliCitrobacter freundiiEdwardsiella tardaAeromonas hydrophillaSalmonella sp., Schewanella putrifaciens and Streptococcus sp. The zone of inhibition varies depending on bacterial species and type of extract. The average diameter of inhibition zones ranges from without inhibition zone to 12 mm and without inhibition zone to 11 mm for water and methanolic extract, respectively. All the 9 plants tested showed antimicrobial activity against one or more species of bacteria. The most active antimicrobial plants were Colocasia esculentaCitrus microcarpaCentella asiatica and Morinda citrifolia.

 

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, edible plants, crude extract