Antibacterial activity of leaves of Eurphorbia tirucalli against Isolates of Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

Abstract

This study was conducted at Central Diagnostic Laboratory at Makerere University in Uganda in May 2023. It aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Euphorbia tirucalli leaf extracts against different isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The microdilution method was employed as the methodology to assess the effectiveness of the leaf extracts. The S. pneumoniae strains used in this study were collected from the bacterial archives at the Central Diagnostic Laboratory, Makerere university, Uganda, representing a broad range of isolates with varying resistance profiles. The ethanolic extracts of E. tirucalli leaves were prepared and their antibacterial activities were determined through a series of dilutions. The results indicated that the E. tirucalli leaf extracts possessed significant antibacterial activity against all tested S. pneumoniae strains. The MIC values ranged from 4 to 8 μg/ml, with strain-specific variations observed. Furthermore, the MBC values confirmed the bactericidal effect of the leaf extracts, as concentrations slightly higher than the corresponding MIC demonstrated complete eradication of bacterial growth.