ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF TERMINALIA-MACROPTERA ROOT

Terminalia macroptera Guill et Perr. (Combretaceae) is a medicinal pla nt used in Guinea-Bissau and other West African countries to treat inf ectious diseases. The ethanol extract from T. macroptera decorticated root and their liquid-liquid partition fractions, were screened for an timicrobial activity, by the twofold serial microdilution assay agains t seven reference bacterial strains and against Candida albicans. The extract and fractions showed some activity against at least one of the test microorganisms. The best results were obtained against Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio cholerae. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of T. macroptera ethanol extract were also determined for about 100 clinical strains of Campylobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Salmonel la sp., Shigella sp. and Vibrio cholerae. The ethanol extract activity against Campylobacter strains is similar to co-trimoxazole, higher th an sulfamethoxazole but lower than tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicil in and streptomycin. Ellagitannins are the major compounds in the extr act and active fractions. The obtained results suggest a potential imp ortance of this medicinal plant in the treatment of enteric diseases, particularly in Campylobacter infections. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd.