Abstract

This study investigates the antibacterial efficacy of plant extract extracted from Aframomum melegueta (Grains of Paradise) and Curcuma longa against clinical wound isolates collected from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) Health Centre in Ondo State, Nigeria. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has led to a renewed interest in traditional herbal remedies for alternative treatment options. The plant extract were extracted using ethanol and n-hexane using a rotary evaporator and tested at varying concentrations (100 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 25 mg/ml, 12.5 mg/ ml, and 6.25 mg/ml). Antimicrobial assays, including zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), were conducted using the agar well diffusion method to evaluate their effectiveness against bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella ornithinolytica, Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter haemolyticus. Results showed that Aframomum melegueta demonstrated stronger antibacterial activity, with an inhibition zone between 4-17mm at 100mg/ml compared to Curcuma longa, with an inhibition zone of between 6 to no inhibition at 100 mg/ml, particularly against Acinetobacter haemolyticus, with MIC of 12.5mg/ml and MBC of 25 mg/ml. Killing time assays done using a spectrophotometer at 600 wavelengths further indicated that higher concentrations of these oils were more effective in reducing bacterial growth. The study suggests that these plant-based extract could be potential alternatives to synthetic antibiotics for treating wound infections, especially in light of rising antibiotic resistance. Further research is recommended to explore the clinical applications, optimal extraction methods, and possible synergistic effects with conventional antibiotics.

Keywords

synergistic efficacy, aframomum melegueta, curcuma longa, plant extract