Document Type	Master's Dissertation
Author	Lentsoane, Robert
URN	etd-05232005-102711
Document Title	Antimicrobial activity of Melianthus villosus
Degree	MSc (Botany)
Department	Botany
Supervisor	Advisor Name Title Prof J J M Meyer Committee Chair
Keywords	antifungal agents anti-infective agents medicinal plants Africa Southern melianthus ethnobotany Africa Southern applied ethnobotany Africa Southern
Date	2008-02-17
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Many South Africans continue to use traditional medicine in their daily lives as an alternative form of health care, also as part of their cultural heritage. Medicinal plants are proving to be an important source of novel drugs, and the knowledge provided by traditional healers is a useful tool in the search for antimicrobials. The antimicrobial activity of was investigated against ten bacteria and six fungi. The antibacterial assay showed that the root extract had the highest inhibition against the Gram-positive bacteria at the minimum inhibition concentration of o.1 mg/ml, as well as against the Gram-negative, E. coli, at the MIC of 1.0 mg/ml. Antifungal activity was witnessed against Cladosporium cladosporoide, C. cucumerinum & C sphaerosperum all at the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.0 mg/ml. An attempt was made to isolate and identify the active antimicrobial compounds. A flavonol, quercetin was isolated and identified by means of UV spectral graphs, and TLC comparison of the plant extract and standard. However, a second isolated antibacterial compound could not be identified fully but it can be said that it is a triterpenoid. © 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Lentsoane, R 2004, Antimicrobial activity of Melianthus villosus, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05232005-102711/ > H456/ag
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