Angella Babirye and Rahamah Sheu-Idrees
The current study set out to determine whether plant extracts from Taraxacum officinale roots exhibited antibacterial activity against a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The research was carried out at the Kampala International University Uganda Western Campus, Microbiology Laboratory. There were four extracts used: methanolic, ethanolic, chloroform, and distilled water (D. H2O). The diffusion method in an agar well was applied. The tested bacterial pathogen, MRSA, was found to be susceptible to the effects of Taraxacum officinale extracts, both methanolic and ethanolic root extracts being the most effective; chloroform extract exhibited lower potency, and queous extracts exhibited no activity against MRSA. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts against this bacterial strain was around 3 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml for chloroform extract and the average MBA was 25 mg/ml for ethanolic, methanolic chloroform extract. The results of various phytochemical analyses showed the existence of secondary metabolites that may be involved in the antibacterial assay, including flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and phenol. Based on the findings, it can be said that Taraxacum officinale extracts may be the next antibacterial agent to be created since they have potential efficacy against the tested bacterial pathogenic strain, MRSA.
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