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Ethanolic and aqueous extracts
of ten medicinal plants used in folklore medicine in Venda (South Africa)
were screened for their in vitro activity against some Grampositive
and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria using the disc diffusion method. Root
and stembark extracts of Datura stramonium at a concentration of 50mg
ml^-1 were inhibitory to most of the organisms with a diameter of zone of
inhibition of growth ranging from 12–19mm. Warburgia salutaris was
also inhibitory to most of the bacteria with a diameter of zone of inhibition
of growth ranging from 8–17mm at a concentration of 50mg ml^-1. A range of
10–16mm was observed for Peltophorum africanum at a concentration
of 40mg ml^-1 against the Gram-negative bacteria tested. Other plants showed
moderate or no activity, compared to a 30µg ml^-1 oxytetracycline control
antibiotic. The use of these plants by the indigenes of Venda against diseases
apparently caused by these organisms may be of some value.

South African
Journal of Botany 2002, 69(2): 199–203