Abstract

The leaves of three plants, Alstonia boonei, Morinda lucida and Petiveria alliacea, and latex of A. boonei were screened for antibacterial activity. In evaluating antibacterial activity, both aqueous and ethanol extracts of the plants were used. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the plants. Among the bacterial screened, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most resistant bacterial strain, while Flavobacterium sp., the most susceptible one. M. lucida extract was active against all the tested bacteria. Therefore, this plant can be selected for further investigation to determine its therapeutic potential. The latex of A. boonei was not active against any of the bacteria tested.

Key words: Antibacterial activity, medicinal plants, Alstonia boonei, Morinda lucida, Petiveria alliacea, Nigeria.