Antifungal Activities of Garcinia Kola Extracts On purulent Human Ocular Discharges in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos

Garcinia Kolanut is a natural fruit native to west Africa. The medicine properties of its tree and the fruit are currently and vastly being studied. Following the studies done on laboratory animals and in-vitro bacterial flora from hospital clinic patients\' eye, it become more obvious that these same extracts could also have antifungal activities. These form the bases for this study. Crude extract were obtained as in previous studies using two methods described by Irobi. Fungal micro-organisms were obtained from swabs of corneal abscess scrapings and conjunctival discharges of the Guinness eye center clinic patients, sent to the microbiologists for microscopy, culture and sensitivities. Patients\' eyes were treated with orthodox known antifungal drugs. Fungal isolates from the swabbed eyes were studied for sensitivities and inhibitory effects of 5% extracts of Garcinia Kolanuts extracts in water and in methanol. Comparison study with other three antifungal drugs was done. Studies show that Garcinia Kolanut extracts exhibited significant sensitivity and inhibitory activities against the fungal micro-organisms isolated from patients\' eyes in this study. The discovery of a drug useful and effective in the management of both bacterial and fungal infections will be a big breakthrough for ophthalmologists. NQJHM Vol. 14 (1) 2004: pp. 112-11

Antibacterial Effects of Garcinia Kolanut Extracts on Ocular Bacterial Isolates in Lagos

The is a prospective study of six month duration, March 1995 to August 1995. The aim of the study is to evaluate the antibacterial activities of the extracts of Garcinia kola nuts on common bacteria isolated from ocular discharges of eye clinic patients, in the Guinness Eye Centre, Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Following some study on laboratory animals at the College of Medicine University of Lagos using water extracts of the nuts to show anti-glaucomatous activities as claimed by an octogenarian, another probable antibacterial activity of the same extract was highlighted after accidental instillation of the same improved redness of the eyes. Common ocular bacterial micro-organisms were isolated from wet conjunctival swabs obtained from 95 clinic consecutive patients with purulent ocular discharges, at the Guinness Eye Centre of the – LUTH. Study was non-invasive. Swabs were sent to the micro-biologist for microscopy, culture and sensitivity assay patients were treated with orthodox antibiotics according to sensitivity results. The inhibitions of the isolated organisms by the extracts of Garcinia kola nuts were observed, measured and recorded. Two methods of extractions were used. The first extraction is distilled water compared effects with those in methanol extract. The second in distilled water compared with effects of a known broad spectrum antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (ciproxin). The water extract had strong inhibitory activities on Escherchia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, proteus mirabilis. There was a better statistical difference p>0.5%. The methanol extract only inhibited staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa better. Both extracts inhibited staphylococcus albus equally. When the effects of the 5% of the water extract was compare with that of 0.05% ciprofloxacin there was no statistical difference

Psuedocedreal Kotschyi\'s (Emi gbegiri, Schweinf) Antimicriobia Activities in Comparative Studies with Ciproxin on Microbes Cultured from Human Conjuctivitis

Introduction: Pseudocedrela kotschyi (P.K) popularly known to the traditional healer as emi gbegiri in Yoruba land is a savanna vegetation and is acclaimed to have many bioactive properties including antimicrobial properties. A comparative study is hereby reported, evaluating the inhinitory effects on common infecting micro-organisms of the human conjunctive with those of ciproxin, a broadspectrum antibiotic. Materials and Methods: Conjunctival swabs of purulent discharges from patients in the eye clinic of the Guinness Eye Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (GEC/LUTH) were sent to the Microbiology Laboratory of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) for microscopy, culture and sensitivity. Patients were treated with orthodox antibiotics as specified in the sensitivity results. The isolates were also subjected to the inhibitory effects of P.K. extracts and compared with those of Ciproxin. Extracts of P.K. roots were extracted in the Microbiology Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. Zones of inhibition were measured in mm. Result: These studies revealed the ability of the extract of P.K. to inhibit effectively the growth of the isolates on nutrient agars. Micro-organisms effectively inhibited were Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas arruginosa, staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus feacalis and Candida albicans. In comparison with Ciproxin, the effects were quite remarkable. Discussion: The African forests and vegetations are provided by nature for healing and more works are still needed to purely isolate and quantify safe dosages for preventive health hazards like infections. This study reveals and demonstrates PK\'s antimicrobial activities. Comparing these effects with those of Ciproxin, reveals P.K. to be effective against the same microbes. Conclusion: Pharmaceutical researchers and investigators have more works to do towards the pure identification and extraction of the active agents in P.K responsible for these anti-infective properties to become usable and available to human advantage. NQJHM Vol. 14 (3&4) 2004: pp. 266-26