Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: March | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 61-68
Comparative Analysis of the Antibacterial Effects of Emilia sonchifolia (Tassel Flower) and Selected Antibiotics on Ocular Bacteria, in vitro
Ugwoke, G.I.1, Ikoro, N.C.2, Esenwah, E.C.3, Azuamah, Y.C.4, Megwas, A.U.5, Nwakamma, G.I.6, Ibe, C.N.7, Ogbonna, U.C.8, Umunnakwe, O.L.9
1Department of Optometry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
2Reader, 3Professor, 4,5 Senior Lecturer, 6Lecturer 1, 7,8,9Assistant Lecturer,
Department of Optometry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Corresponding Author: Ugwoke, G.I.
ABSTRACT
Developments of bacterial resistance to available antibiotics have necessitated the screening of medicinal plants for bioactive compounds which is gaining increasing popularity in the world. Emilia sonchifolia (Emilia s.) is a multipurpose plant that has exhibited antimicrobial effects against a wide range of microorganisms. The antibacterial activity of Emilia s. (tassel flower) extracts were compared with selected antibiotics against ocular bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) in vitro using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Phytochemical screening of the plant in Ethanol, Methanol and Aqueous solvents showed the presence of Saponin, Tannin, Flavonoid, Phenol, Alkaloid, Steroid and Glycoside in all the extracts but Flavonoid was not present in the Aqueous extract. Bacteria used were isolated from the eyes of infected patients that visited the Federal University of Technology, Optometry Teaching Clinic and St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi all in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria and were identified and characterized macroscopically using standard laboratory methods. Diameter of zones of inhibition was measured for the different extracts of tassel flower and selected antibiotics. The data collected were tabulated and analyzed using Paired T-test and one-way ANOVA at 95% confidence interval and at a 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that aqueous, ethanol and methanol extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against the isolates with mean diameter of inhibition zone 13.33±2.89, 9.33±1.16 and 7.67±2.52 respectively. Their effect on the isolates was significant with p(0.01) <0.05 while that of the antibiotics were 12.00±3.46 for gentamicin, 17.00±10.58 for ofloxacin and 5.00±0.00 for erythromycin. A Comparison of the effects of Emilia s. and antibiotics on the bacterial isolates using one-way ANOVA showed the effects of Emilia s. does not differ significantly from the antibiotics as p(0.58) >0.05. This shows that Emilia sonchifolia could become a promising natural antibacterial agent with potential application in pharmaceutical industries for the production of plant-based ocular drugs.
Key words: Emilia sonchifolia, Antibiotics, Ocular bacteria.