Antibacterial Activity of Moringa oleifera Extracts on Bacterial Isolates from Clinical Specimens in a Specialist Hospital, Sokoto

Abstract

Abstract:Background: The rising prevalence of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacterianecessitates the exploration of alternative therapeutic agents from medicinal plants. Moringaoleifera, widely recognized for its nutritional and medicinal properties, represents a potentialsource of novel antibacterial compounds.Objective: This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity ofaqueous and ethanol extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves, seeds, and roots against clinicalbacterial isolates.Methods: We collected clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichiacoli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi from the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto.We prepared aqueous and ethanol extracts of M. oleifera leaves, seeds, and roots and screenedthem for phytochemical constituents. We evaluated antibacterial activity using the agar welldiffusion method and determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimumbactericidal concentrations (MBCs) by broth dilution. We compared the extract's activity withthat of ciprofloxacin, a standard antibiotic.Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins,saponins, phenols, glycosides, steroids, and carbohydrates, with distribution varying acrossplant parts and solvents. Ethanol extracts demonstrated stronger antibacterial activity thanaqueous extracts. The seed ethanol extract produced the highest zones of inhibition against E.coli (25 mm) and S. aureus (25 mm). In comparison, the root ethanol extract showed strongactivity against S. aureus (22 mm) and S. typhi (21 mm). S. aureus was the most susceptibleorganism, while P. aeruginosa exhibited the least susceptibility. MIC values ranged from 15.6to 125 mg/mL, and MBC values ranged from 31.3 to 500 mg/mL. Statistical analysis revealedno significant difference in extract activity compared with ciprofloxacin (p = 0.428).Conclusion: Moringa oleifera extracts exhibit significant antibacterial activity againstclinically relevant bacterial pathogens, supporting their potential as alternative orcomplementary therapeutic agents. Seed and root extracts showed particular promise,warranting further investigation and development.