P-68 Ant’s bush (Struchium sparganophora): An indigenous Guyanese plant with antimicrobial properties
Author(s):
E Tyrell , B Ally-Charles , S Prittipaul , N Harrychan , L Halley , K Miggins , K Wright , E Li , J Pitt , D Duncan , R Greene , A Charles , R Kurup , A Boyle
Type Of Study:
- Experimental or Intervention Study
Year of Presentation:
2023
Objective: To investigate the effects of ant’s bush (Struchium sparganophora) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.
Methods: Hexane and methanol extracts were obtained from the ground leaves and concentrated using a rotary evaporator. Sterile filter paper discs were soaked in different concentrations; obtained by mixing distinct volumes of crude extract with varying amounts of solvent from 100% pure extract to 1% (10µl of pure extract and 990µls solvent). The Kirby Bauer technique was done, and discs were placed in duplicate. The media and positive control for the bacteria were: Mueller Hinton and ciprofloxacin; and for the fungi: Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar, and ketoconazole and fluconazole. The pure solvents were the negative controls. Susceptibility zones were measured in millimetres and expressed as mean ± Standard Deviation.
Results: The methanol extract was effective against S. aureus at 50% (11 ± 1mm) and 25% (9 ± 0mm), whilst the hexane extract was most effective at 100% (11 ± 1mm). Of note, the mean zone diameter observed with methanol extracts (25%) for P. aeruginosa was 21.5mm, when compared with ciprofloxacin, for which susceptibility is a zone of =21mm. For C. neoformans, the largest zone was seen with the 20% hexane extract (35.5 ± 5mm), which was comparable to the zones obtained for fluconazole (32 ± 2mm) and ketoconazole (39.5 ± 0.5mm). Zones of inhibition were also seen with C. albicans.
Conclusion: We recommend that further antimicrobial and phytochemical analyses with additional solvents be undertaken with other microbial species.