Antibacterial activities of 13 medicinal plants used against infectious and parasitic diseases in Kinshasa and its surroundings, D.R. Congo

Abstract

The present research aims to test the antibacterial activities of a sample of 13 plant species used in traditional medicine against infectious and parasitic diseases in Kinshasa and its surroundings. Ten herbal drugs were tested in the laboratory on Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus. With the exception of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, three of the four bacterial strains tested are sensitive to the herbal recipes in this study: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus. These results give credibility to the traditional knowledge of local ethnic groups for the antibacterial properties of traditional prescriptions used in traditional medicine.