Antimycobacterial Activities of Selected Ethiopian Traditional Medicinal plants used for treatment of symptoms of Tuberculosis

Yonas Eshetu Gizachew¹, Mirutse Giday² and Tilahun Teklehaymanot²

¹Department of Animal production and ecotourism, College of Agriculture, Aksum University

²Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University

*Corresponding Author E-mail: gizish1981@gmail.com; Phone: +251919908300

Accepted 25 October, 2013

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is serious infectious diseases affecting many people across the world particularly sub-Saharan Africans. Ethiopia is ranked 7^th among TB burden shouldering countries in the world. Conventional chemotherapeutic control approach has faced serious, flourishing drug resistance strains. Traditional herbal remedies have endeavored to supplement or replace ineffective drugs. This study determined the antimycobacterial activity of selected Ethiopian medicinal plants traditionally used to treat TB. Leaf of Ocimum lamiifolum, Clausena antisata and Myrsine africana were collected, air dried and extracted with distilled water and absolute methanol (MeOH). The crude aqueous and MeOH crude extracts of the plants were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain and M. bovis (SB 1176). Broth micro-dilution method (BMM) was used to determine the anti-mycobacterial activities and minimum inhibitory concentration of the plant extracts. MeOH and aqueous crude extracts of O. lamiifolum, C. antisata and M. africana have demonstrated promising activity against at least one species of two Mycobacterium species. Both MeOH and aqueous crude extracts of M. africana were active against both species. Antimycobacterial activity was documented within inclusive MIC range of 400-1600µg/m for the extracts of three plant species. The plant extracts have anti-mycobacterial activities pin pointing scientific ground for ethnomedicinal use of the plants against TB. This finding could serve as baseline information for further antimycobacterial agent study of these plants. Future studies ought to assess the exact chemicals involved and identify, if any toxicity. There will also be way to encourage the traditional use of the plant against TB after further research.

Keywords: Plant extracts, Test organisms, antimycobacterial activity, BMM, MIC,

List of abbreviations

BMM; Microbroth dilution method, DMSO = Dimethyl Sulphoxide, DOT; directly observed treatment, MDR; Multidrug resistance, MeOH; Methanol, MIC; minimum inhibitory concentration, NCCLS; National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, OADC; Middlebrooke enrichment (oleic acid, Albumin, Dextrose, Catalase), TB; tuberculosis, XDR; extensive drug resistance