Chapter One

1.0 Introduction                                                                                                          1

1.1 Background of the Study                                                                                      1

1.2 Specific Objectives of the Study                                                                          4

1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study                                                                        4

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review                                                                                                             5

2.1 Historical Background of the Plant                                                                      5

2.2 Antimicrobial Activity of Ficus Species                                                              6

2.3 Phytochemical Elucidation of Ficus Extracts                                                      7

2.4 Pharmaceutical Activities of Ficus Species                                                         7

Chapter Three

3.0 Materials and Method                                                                                           11

3.1 Sterilization of Apparatus                                                                                     11

3.2 Collection of Clinical Samples and Culturing of Microorganisms                         11

3.3 Composition and Preparation of Culture Media                                                   11

3.4 Biochemical Characterization                                                                              13

3.5 Collection and Identification of Plant                                                                  15

3.6 Plant Extraction                                                                                                    16

3.6.1 Ethanolic Extraction of Plant                                                                            16

3.6.2 Aqueous extraction of plant                                                                              16

3.7 Phytochemical Screening                                                                                     16

3.8 Antimicrobial Sensitivity of Ficus Sycomorus Extracts                                       17

Chapter Four

Result                                                                                                                          19

Chapter Five

5.0 Discussion and Conclusion                                                                                   24

5.1 Discussion                                                                                                             24

5.2 Conclusion                                                                                                            27

References                                                                                                                 28

LIST OF TABLE

Table 4.1 Gram reaction and biochemical characterization of the isolated microorganisms

Table 4.2: Phytochemical Screening of the extracts

Table 4.3: Inhibitory zones of ethanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of Ficus sycomorus at different concentrations

Table 4.4: Inhibitory zones of aqueous leaf and stem bark extracts of Ficus sycomorus at different concentrations

Table 4.5: Inhibitory zones of antibiotics against the isolates

Ficus sycomorus Linn belongs to the family of Moraceae, comprising about 40 genera and over 1,400 species of trees, shrubs, vine and herbs, often with milky latex juices. The plant grows up to 20 m with widely spreading branches and crown. F. sycomorus fruits, stem bark and root are widely used in Africa continent for the treatment of various diseases such as cough, diarrhea, skin infections, stomach disorders, liver disease, epilepsy, tuberculosis, lactation disorders, helminthiasis, infertility, sterility and diabetes mellitus (Igbokwe et al., 2010; Adoum et al., 2012). The ethanol and aqueous leaves bark extract of Ficus sycomorus was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro antimicrobial tests. The phytochemical tests was carried out using standard methods of analysis and these investigations revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. The antimicrobial activity of the plant extract was assayed using the agar plate disc diffusion techniques. The isolated microorganisms were: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi (Gram-negative), Staphylococcus aureus and (Gram positive). The ethanolic leaf extracts of the plant showed antimicrobial activities against the isolates at MIC of 6.25mg/ml with zone of inhibition of 1mm (Klebsiella sp), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2mm), Escherichia coli (4mm) and Staphylococcus aureus with 5mm while the extract was not effective on Salmonella sp at 6.25mg/ml. The highest zone of inhibition was at 100mg/ml with Staphylococcus aureus showing the highest zone of 36mm, then E.coli (34mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella sp (28mm) and Salmonella sp (25mm). Zone of inhibition (ZIs) was varied according to the tested bacteria pathogens and plant fraction extract (tab. 4.3). The ethanolic stem bark extract of the plant showed lower zones of inhibition to the ethanolic leaf extracts at MIC of 12.5mg/ml with S. aureus (10mm), E. coli and Salmonella sp (8mm), while other microorganisms were not susceptible at the concentration of 12.5mg/ml; highest zones were shown at concentration of 100mg/ml with Staphylococcus aureus>E. coli>Salmonella sp.>Pseudomonas aeruginosa>Klebsiella sp. (28mm, 24mm, 23mm, 22mm and 21mm) respectively The extracts showed varied inhibitory activity against the organisms studied. In this present study the plant extract exhibited a strong antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic organisms investigated.

Key words: Antibacterial, stembark, in vitro, phytochemical, Ficus sycomorus, Moraceae