Abstract:
Medicinal plants have many traditional uses including the treatment of diseases of infectious
origin, like bacterial wound infection. To the level of investigator’s knowledge, there is no
previous study conducted on selected medicinal plants in Fafan zone, regarding antibacterial
activity and wound infection treatment ability of the five selected medicinal plants, therefore the
antibacterial activity of selected medicinal plants to treat wound infection is not known.
Therefore this study was aimedto evaluate in vitro antibacterial activity of five selected
medicinal plants traditionally used to treat human wound infection in Fafan zone, Somali
Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia from March 01, 2019 to May 30, 2019. An experimental study
was employed to evaluate five medicinal plantsnamely, (Jasminumfloribundum), (Euphorbia
hirta), (Euphorbia abyssinica), (Sarcophytepiriei), (Commiphoramyrrha). Disc diffusion and
broth dilution methods were used to determine the antibacterial activity and minimum inhibition
concentration against six standard bacterial species including Staphylococcus aureus,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcuspyogenes, Proteus mirabilis, and
Klebsiellapneumoniae.Data wasanalyzed Statistical Package for the Social Science using version
20 software. The zone of inhibition was expressed as Mean ± SD. Statistical analysis was also
undertaken by analysis of variance (one way ANOVA)test to determine whether there was
significant difference in zone of inhibition between extracts concentrations and also antibiotic
used.Theplants extracts were positive for the presence of most of the tested secondary
metabolites like alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, polyphenols and
terpenoid,exceptjasminumfloribundumextract which lack phenolic compound.The Resultof plant
extracts exhibited inhibition zones ranging from 10±2 mm to 24.9± 0.9mm diameter, with the
most noteworthy results shown by ethanolic extract of Commiphoramyrrha. The Minimum
inhibitory concentration value of plant ethanolic extracts against the tested bacteria ranged
from7.8 mg/ml extract of Euphorbia hirta on S. pyogenes and Proteus mirabils and
Jasminumfloribundum on Klebsiellapneumoniae ) to 250.00 mg/ml (ethanolic extract of
Euphorbia abyssinica on Escherichia coliand Sarcophytepirieion Klebsiellapneumoniae).The
results in this study indicates the great potential of selected plant species with antibacterial
activity to treat wound infections of bacterialorigin. Further in vivo antibacterial activity and
toxicity test are recommended for confirming efficacy and safety of these herbal
