Validation of the Ability of Selected Medicinal Plants to Control Bacterial Diseases as Applied by Local Herbalists in Kaya Tsolokero and Kaya Kauma of Kenya

Abstract

An ethnobotanical study was carried out in the sacred Kaya forests of Kauma and Tsolokero of Kilifi County in Kenya. Ethnobotanical data on useful and medicinal plants was collected. Communities living around these two forests depend on the diversity of flora for their livelihood. The local herbalists use indigenous trees and shrubs to heal a variety of diseases. The communities have knowledge to prepare a variety of medicinal formulations to treat diseases which have been passed down through generations. In this study, twelve medicinal plants were selected and tested to validate their ability to control conditions caused by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Formulations from these twelve plants were prepared using a protocol that was adopted from the local medicinal practitioners. The formulations were used in the laboratory to inhibit the growth of S . aureusand E. coli using the dual plating method. Some of the perceived medicinal plants by the practitioners and the community exhibited medicinal properties with very clear growth inhibition zones. Mildbraedia carpinifolia (Mfundiran'gambi), Vernonia homilantha (Mlazakoma), Solanun incannun (Mtondo) and Senna siamea (Mchilifi) against S . aureuswhile, Zanthoxylum chalybeum (Mdungu) and Croton pseudophulchellum (Myama wa nyika) had activity against Escherichia coli. Results in this study validated the medicinal properties of the local formulations of some of the tested plants as applied by the local herbalists.