Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of Pterygota macrocarpa and Cola gigantea (Sterculiaceae)

Abstract

Pterygota macrocarpa and Cola gigantea are African medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of sores, skin infections, and other inflammatory conditions including pains. This study therefore aims at investigating the antimicrobial properties of ethanol leaf and stem bark extracts of P. macrocarpa and C. gigantea using the agar diffusion and the micro-dilution techniques and also determining the anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts of these plants in carrageenan-induced foot edema in seven-day old chicks. The minimum inhibitory concentration of both ethanol leaf and bark extracts of P. macrocarpa against the test organisms was from 0.125 to 2.55mg/mL and that of C. gigantea extracts was 0.125 to 2.75mg/mL. Extracts with concentration of 50mg/mL were most active against the test organisms according to the agar diffusion method. All the extracts of P. macrocarpa and C. gigantea at 30, 100, and 300mg/kg body weight except ethanol leaf extract of C. gigantea exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects (P 0.001). Copyright © 2012 Christian Agyare et al.