Antibacterial Studies of the Stem Bark of Detarium Microcarpum Guill. & Perr. (Fabaceae)

Bacteria isolates comprising Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from urine samples of patients from Nasara clinic of the Ahmadu Bello Teaching hospital (ABUTH), Zaria were identified to genera level using the conventional biochemical tests and were further characterized to species level using the appropriate microscopic procedures and confirmatory tests. The isolates were then tested for their antibiotic sensitivity against eight different standard antibiotics and against three samples from the stem bark of Detarium microcarpum. The zones of inhibition, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and the Rate of Kill of the three samples were measured. The isolates were generally resistant to amoxicillin and augmentin but susceptible to nitrofurantoin, gentamicin and ofloxacin. Most of the E. coli isolates were resistant to Tetracycline as compared to the samples of S. aureus isolates. The zones of Inhibition showed by the plant samples ranged from 6 mm to 45 mm, the MIC ranged from 0.625 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml and MBC ranged from 1.25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml. The antimicrobial activity of the extract and fractions of the stem bark of the plant was compared with that of a standard antibiotic (ciprofloxacin). The traditional medicinal use of the plant stem bark was justified by the result of this study