Antibacterial Activity of Zingiber officinale, Matricaria chamomilla and Nigella sativa Extracts on Growth of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Different Clinical Specimens

Abstract

The aim of this study was to study the antibacterial activity of the different concentrations of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts of the medicinal plants Zingebir officinal (roots), Nigella sativa (seeds) and Matricaria recutita (flowers) using agar wells diffusion method. The study was conducted in Khartoum State, Sudan, during the period from March to August 2011. 157 samples were collected as follows: 32 samples were wounds, 51 urine, 20 stool, 4 abscess fluid and 50 sputum. From the mentioned samples, 120 pathogenic bacteria were isolated and identified as follows: 26 pathogenic bacteria, belonging to 9 different genera (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecales, Echerichia coli, Klepsiella sp, Proteus sp, Pesudomonas Citrobacter sp), sp, were Salmonella selected to sp, be Serratia sp identified and using biochemical reactions, API technique and chromogenic agar. Each plants used for extraction was obtained from two different sources, Ethiopian Zingebir officinal, Zingiber officinal, Syrian Nigella sativa, Ethiopian Nigerian Nigella sativa, Egyptian Matricaria recutita and Sudanese Matricaria recutita. Plants extraction was carried out using soxhlet and aqueous extraction methods. The susceptibility testing was conducted for the above mentioned bacteria against four antibiotics (gentamycin, ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline) and the extracts from the aforementioned plant. Comparisons between the results of susceptibility testing against antibiotics and plants extracts were conducted. The results showed that the aqueous extracts from all the tested medicinal plants did not show any activity against all the tested pathogenic bacteria while alcoholic extractions showed remarkable antibacterial activity except methanolic extracts of Syrian and Ethiopian Nigella sativa which did not show any activity against all the tested pathogenic bacteria. Phytochemical screening was conducted for the most effective extracts of Ethiopian Zingiber officinal ethyl acetate extract, Ethiopian Nigella sativa chloroform extract and Sudanese Matricaria recutita methanolic extract. The results showed the presence of some differences in the constituents of the three different plants extracts. Ethiopian Zingiber officinal ethyl acetate extract contained alkaloids, anthraquinone glycosides, cumarins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and triterpens. Ethiopian Nigella sativa chloroform extract contained cumarins, flavonoids, triterpens methanolic and sterols. extract Sudanese contained Matricaria alkaloids, retutica anthraquinone glycosides, cumarins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpens and sterols. Cyanogenic glycosides were absent in the three extracts.