Antimicrobial and brine shrimp lethality of extracts of Terminalia mollis laws

Using the disc diffusion method it was demonstrated that extracts of the leaves, stem and roots of Terminalia mollis Laws (Combretaceae) have antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571), Escherichia coli (NCTC 10418), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 10662), Klebsiella pneumoniae (NCTC 9633), Salmonella typhi (NCTC 8385), and Bacillus anthracis (NCTC 10073) and antifungal activity against Candida albicans (Strain HG 392), and local strains of Aspergillus flavus and Cryptococcus neoformans. The root extracts were the most active followed by the stem, and leaf extracts. Extracts of the three parts also exhibited cytotoxicity to brine shrimp larvae with LC50 values ranging from 26.3 to 58.1, 10.4 to 69.5, and 42.9-101.3μg/ml, for the root, stem, and leaf extracts, respectively. The results support the traditional uses of extracts of this plant for the management of bacterial and fungal infections. Keywords: Terminalia mollis, antimicrobial activity, traditional medicine African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines Vol. 3(3) 2006: 59-6