Advances in Phytochemistry, Textile and Renewable Energy Research for
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Antibacterial efficacy of the aqueous and ethanolic extracted dyes from
Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga parviflora plant
leaves
A. Musinguzi, J.I. Mwasiagi & C. Nzila
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
I. Nibikora
Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda
ABSTRACT: Traditionally, Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga perviflora plant leaves are
well-known for their healing powers against various human diseases and infections when applied orally and
externally. They possess several phytochemicals which are key for their antibacterial and antifungal attributes.
In this study, aqueous and ethanolic extraction methods were used to extract the dyes, which were investigated
for their antibacterial activity using the disc diffusion method and minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) by
serial dilutions of the original plant dye extracts. Results showed a bigger zone of inhibition (8–18 mm) against
both Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) bacterial strains with
the aqueous method as compared to the ethanolic method (6–13 mm). The MIC was at 3 and 30 mg/mL for
aqueous and ethanolic extracted dyes, respectively, whereas the controls (water and ethanol) were found to not
influence the inhibition outcome, thus confirming the presence of antibacterial properties in all selected plants
with aqueous being the best extraction method.
Keywords: Antibacterial activity, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Aqueous and ethanolic
extraction, medicinal plants
1 INTRODUCTION
In the last decade, the transmission of healthcareassociated infections and infectious diseases within the
healthcare surroundings became the second leading
cause of death worldwide (Hasara et al. 2019). Annually, it is estimated that 4 million people get infected
in Europe and 7 million people in the USA (Adlhart
et al. 2018). In most developing countries, surgical site-related infections include Gram-positive cocci
like Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis among others, and Gram-negative bacilli such as
Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which
are all well-known for burns and wound infections,
are on the rise (Pallavali et al. 2017). Recently, it
has been proved that human pathogenic microorganisms have a tendency to develop resistance to various
antibiotics, thus posing a therapeutic threat (Yavuz
et al. 2017). In a bid to overcome such hindrances,
antibiotic resistance inhibitors, mostly from the plant
kingdom, have been used since they are well-known
to contain a variety of phytochemicals and other compounds that are used to protect them from pathogens
(Sen et al. 2012; (Thakare et al. 2016). They also
have pharmacological properties and are economically
viable compared to synthetic drugs (Atef, Shanab,
Negm, & Abbas 2019). For a long time, various medicinal plants have been used as traditional treatments for
different human diseases and infections (Marwat et
al. 2017; Sayyed & Shah 2014; (Zameer & Yaqoob
2017). Therefore, to confirm this ethnotherapeutic
claim, dyes extracted from Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga parviflora plant leaves
by aqueous and ethanolic methods were evaluated for
antibacterial efficacy.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
On Earth, the plant kingdom is estimated to contain
around 250,000-500,000 different species of which a
small portion of around 10% can be of use in the food
sector (Shuaib et al. 2013). There are higher possibilities that a bigger portion of more than 10% could exist
of plant species with medicinal properties (Malpani
2013). The ethnobotanical survey done by Nambejja,
Tugume, Nyakoojo & Kamatenesi-mugisha, (2019)
and Kamatenesi-Mugisha and Oryem-origa (2007)
clearly shows that there are many different medicinal
plant species specifically in Uganda which are used
94
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-12
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Antibacterial efficacy of the aqueous and ethanolic extracted dyes from
Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga parviflora plant
leaves
A. Musinguzi, J.I. Mwasiagi & C. Nzila
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
I. Nibikora
Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda
ABSTRACT: Traditionally, Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga perviflora plant leaves are
well-known for their healing powers against various human diseases and infections when applied orally and
externally. They possess several phytochemicals which are key for their antibacterial and antifungal attributes.
In this study, aqueous and ethanolic extraction methods were used to extract the dyes, which were investigated
for their antibacterial activity using the disc diffusion method and minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) by
serial dilutions of the original plant dye extracts. Results showed a bigger zone of inhibition (8–18 mm) against
both Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) bacterial strains with
the aqueous method as compared to the ethanolic method (6–13 mm). The MIC was at 3 and 30 mg/mL for
aqueous and ethanolic extracted dyes, respectively, whereas the controls (water and ethanol) were found to not
influence the inhibition outcome, thus confirming the presence of antibacterial properties in all selected plants
with aqueous being the best extraction method.
Keywords: Antibacterial activity, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Aqueous and ethanolic
extraction, medicinal plants
1 INTRODUCTION
In the last decade, the transmission of healthcareassociated infections and infectious diseases within the
healthcare surroundings became the second leading
cause of death worldwide (Hasara et al. 2019). Annually, it is estimated that 4 million people get infected
in Europe and 7 million people in the USA (Adlhart
et al. 2018). In most developing countries, surgical site-related infections include Gram-positive cocci
like Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis among others, and Gram-negative bacilli such as
Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which
are all well-known for burns and wound infections,
are on the rise (Pallavali et al. 2017). Recently, it
has been proved that human pathogenic microorganisms have a tendency to develop resistance to various
antibiotics, thus posing a therapeutic threat (Yavuz
et al. 2017). In a bid to overcome such hindrances,
antibiotic resistance inhibitors, mostly from the plant
kingdom, have been used since they are well-known
to contain a variety of phytochemicals and other compounds that are used to protect them from pathogens
(Sen et al. 2012; (Thakare et al. 2016). They also
have pharmacological properties and are economically
viable compared to synthetic drugs (Atef, Shanab,
Negm, & Abbas 2019). For a long time, various medicinal plants have been used as traditional treatments for
different human diseases and infections (Marwat et
al. 2017; Sayyed & Shah 2014; (Zameer & Yaqoob
2017). Therefore, to confirm this ethnotherapeutic
claim, dyes extracted from Datura stramonium, Racinus communis, and Galinsoga parviflora plant leaves
by aqueous and ethanolic methods were evaluated for
antibacterial efficacy.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
On Earth, the plant kingdom is estimated to contain
around 250,000-500,000 different species of which a
small portion of around 10% can be of use in the food
sector (Shuaib et al. 2013). There are higher possibilities that a bigger portion of more than 10% could exist
of plant species with medicinal properties (Malpani
2013). The ethnobotanical survey done by Nambejja,
Tugume, Nyakoojo & Kamatenesi-mugisha, (2019)
and Kamatenesi-Mugisha and Oryem-origa (2007)
clearly shows that there are many different medicinal
plant species specifically in Uganda which are used
94
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-12