Antimicrobial Activities of Cajanus cajan, Garcinia kola and Xylopia aethiopica on Pathogenic Microorganisms

The antimicrobial effect of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of locally available plants, Cajanus cajan, Garcinia kola and Xylopia aethiopica on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were evaluated. The agar gel diffusion and paper disk diffusion method were used to determine the inhibitory effects of both the leaves and seeds extract of the test plants on the test microorganisms. The plant extracts produced inhibition zones ranging from 3 to 22 mm against the test microorganisms. The ethanol extracts of the test plants were more effective in producing inhibition zones against the micro-organisms than water extracts. The extracts of Cajanus cajan produced wider zones of inhibition against Candida albicans than the other plants extracts.