Abstract

The use of plants and plant products in the treatment of various ailments has been with humanity since the dawn of time and the potentials of these plants are so enormous that the continuous search for their hidden treasures is more crucial because of the rise in antibiotic resistance. This study was designed to determine the antimicrobial activities of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) extracts against some selected clinical pathogens. Five pathogenic microorganisms, namely, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhi were used to assess the efficacy of the extracts. The antimicrobial effects of the extracts were examined by the agar well diffusion method on the selected pathogens using Mueller Hinton agar. The control used was Amoxicillin antibiotic. The results revealed that both the bark and crude leaf extracts had antibacterial effect on each of the clinical isolates. The crude leaf extract showed the lowest activity against all tested microorganisms, while the bark extract showed the highest. The bark extract recorded the highest zone of inhibition of 15.5 mm. The study recommends shea tree extracts as a potential source of antibiotic substance against infections caused by the tested microorganisms.

Key words: Shea tree, leaf extract, barks extract, crude extract, pathogens.