Medicinal Potential of Melodorum Gracile and Mkilua Fragrans Extracts
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Crude ethanol extracts of Melodorum gracile and Mkilua fragrans were screened for antimicrobial activity
against Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella gallinarum and Escherichia coli of
veterinary importance. Agar diffusion technique was used to determine the inhibition of microbial growth and
broth dilution technique was used to determine MIC and MBC. The crude extracts exhibited predominantly
antibacterial activity with the root extract showing the strongest inhibition against the test bacteria at a MIC of
between 7 µg/ml and 500 µg/ml. The study has shown that Mkilua fragrans extract is very potent against
Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus but no effect against Salmonella gallinarum and
Escherichia coli. The study also showed that Melodonium gracile extracts were potent against Streptococcus
agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella gallinarum and Escherichia coli. Most of the plant extracts were
significantly lethal towards brine shrimps. This is the first scientific evaluation of the veterinary medicinal
potential of the Melodorum gracile and Mkilua fragrans indigenous to Tanzania, providing the baseline for
further investigations on the plants towards new drug discovery.
Keywords
Antimicrobial activity, Melodorum gracile, Mkilua fragrans, Tanzania, Veterinary