An investigation of the antimicrobial activity of acmella caulirhiza

Abstract

Background: Acmella caulirhiza is a plant that is used traditionally to treat sev eral disorders such as mouth ulcers, sore throat, toothache and earache, among others. I t is a small annual or perennial herb whose locatio n is widespread worldwide. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine whethe r the leaves, stem and the flowers extract of the p lant possess antibacterial and antifungal activity and t o find out which part of the plant is the most acti ve, if any . Methodology: Acmella caulirhiza was collected from the wild in Kericho County. The flower heads, the leaves and the stems were dried separately, ground into a powder a nd extracted with chloroform. The plant extracts we re tested for activity against Escherichia Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida al bicans and Bacillus pumilus. Results and Discussion: The plant extracts inhibited the growth of Escherichia Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus pumilus. The activity was highest in the stems extracts. Th e extracts, however, did not have any anti-fungal activity when tested against Candida albicans . It was concluded from these results that the anti -bacterial activity may aid in the efficacy when the plant is used to treat mouth ulcers or sore throat. Key words: Acmella caulirhiza , anti-fungal activity, anti-bacterial activity, tr aditional medicine