Abstract

*Momoh H., Dambata M.B., B. Ibrahim and Oladosu P.O.

ABSTRACT

Folkloric medicinal application of Lannea humilis (Oliv) in the treatment of tuberculosis was investigated. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, steroids, triterpenes, alkaloids, tannins and saponins. Hexane (HE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA) and methanol (ME) extracts of L. Humilis leaves were evaluated for antibacterial and antifungal activities, against ten pathogenic bacteria and two fungi; Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Corynebacterium ulcerans, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant Staphillococus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogens, Baccillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter sp, Candida tropicalis, and Candida albicans, using the agar-in-well diffusion method. Determination of zone of inhibition (ZI) showed inhibition ranging from 20-23 mm (HE), 25-30 mm (DCM), 30-33 mm (EA) and 22-25 mm (ME) against the entire test organisms except Methicillin resistant Staphillococus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumonia, Shigella dysenteriae and Candida albicans. The results of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed that EA fraction inhibited the growth of all test organisms at a low concentration of 5 mg/mL. Higher MIC values were observed for DCM (5-10 mg/mL), HE and ME fraction all showed MIC at 10 mg/mL. The microorganisms were completely killed at a higher concentration; EA (MBC/MFC; 10 mg/mL), DCM (MBC/MFC; 10-20 mg/mL), ME and HE (MBC/MFC; 20 mg/mL). Antituberculosis evaluation reveals that the HE extract had the highest activity with MIC of 0.675 mg/mL against Mycobacterium bovis, followed by DCM extract. The results clearly showed that the plant has potential that can be explored in the search for anti-TB drug. This is the first work reported on this plant specie.