Advancement in Medicinal

Plant Research
Vol. 1(2), pp. 45-48,
June 2013
Full Length Research Paper
Effect of aqueous extract of leaf and bark of guava
(Psidium guajava) on fungi Microsporum gypseum and
Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus
epidermidis
Fagbohun Temitope Richard
1
, !deke"e Temitope #oshua
$
and !kinbosola #iba"o
%hilips
&
1
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo Uniersity, !"enne#$ampus,
Ogun
State, %igeria&
'
Bate %et(or" )esearch, !badan, Oyo State, %igeria&
*
%igeria %atural Medicine Deelopment +gency )esearch, ,ictoria !sland, -agos,
%igeria&
+ccepted 1. May,
'/1*
!'(TR!)T
!n this study, (e inestigated the effects of Psidium guajava on organisms responsible for s"in disorders,
specifically the fungi0 Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and bacteria0
Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. 1he leaes and bar" of the P. guajava plant (as
harested from Obasa farm !jero, 2"iti#State, %igeria, during the beginning of rainy season in March, '//3&
+4ueous solutions (ere obtained by grinding the leaes and the bar"& Mueller#5inton agar (as used to
gro( the bacteria S. aureus and S. epidermidis& Sabouraud De6trose broth (as used to gro( the fungi
Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum gypseum& +nalysis of the antibacterial action of the e6tracts
of guaa leaes and bar" (as carried out at different concentrations, by comparing the mean diameter of
the inhibition haloes as a ariable& ,alues (ere represented as mean 7 S&2& +n +%O,+ 1u"ey8s test (as
performed to determine the mean difference bet(een the control and the t(o treatments 9S1 and S':& !n
comparing the tetracycline positie control to both solutions, tetracycline had a significantly 9p ;
/&/<: stronger inhibition effect than both solutions& 1his could be due to the fact that tetracycline is a
pure chemical (hile the P. guajava solutions (ere crude e6tracts& Both P. guajava solutions (ere
effectie against inhibiting the gro(th of bacteria S. aureus and S. epidermidis, and fungi M.
gypseum and T. mentagrophytes& 1his supports the reported use of P. guajava in many countries as a
traditional herbal medicine&
*e"+ords, Psidium guajava, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Staphylococcus
aureus, St aphylococcus epidermidis , t et racycli ne&
=$orresponding author& 2#mail0 t op ef agb ohu n> yah oo&c om &
-.TR/01)T-/.
?uaa is a small tropical tree that gro(s up to *< feet
tall@ it is (idely gro(n for its fruit in tropics& !t is a
member of the Myrtaceae family, (ith about 1** genera
and more than *A// species& 1he leaes and bar" of
Psidium guajava tree hae a long history of medicinal
uses that are still employed today 9%(inyi et al&, '//A:&
1he leaes
and bar" of the guaa plant hae been used to treat
diarrhea, other gastrointestinal disorders, toothaches,
colds, and s(elling, in areas such as 9Beiner, 13C1:,
!ndia 9Dutta et al&, '///:, +frica 9)abe and an Staden,
133C@ 1ona et al&, 133A@ 1ona et al&, '///@ -in et al&,
'//':, 5a(aii 9%agata, 13C1:, Malaysia and Panama
+d Med Plant )es D.
9-utterodt, 13A3:& !n 1ahiti 9Beiner, 13C1:, ?uatemala
9$aceres et al&, 133/, 133*:, the Philippines 9Beiner,
13C1:, %ortheast !ndia 9Beiner, 13C1:, and Best Bengal
9?upta and Banerjee, 13C':, guaa is used for s"in
disorders such as an astringent for acne, rashes, and
ring(orm& 1he Southeast %icaraguan indigenous
communities of $una and Baunana, ma"e tea from the
leaes and bar" of the guaa for treatment of diarrhea
and dysentery, (hile the Sumu, Panamah"a, 1(ah"a,
Ul(a, and Ba(ih"a tribes use it for upset stomachs,
ertigo, and to regulate menstrual cycles 9$oe and
+nderson, 1333:&
1he long history of guaa use has led modern day
researchers to study guaa e6tracts& Many e6periments
hae e6amined the antimicrobial properties of Psidium
guajava 9Matsuo et al&, 133D:& 1his medicinal plants has
anti#proliferatie effects on human mouth epidermal
carcinoma and murine leu"emia cells using M!1 assay,
guaa leaf sho(ed anti#proliferatie actiity, (hich (as
D&*C times more than ,incristine 9Manosroi et al&, '//.:&
Bar" and leaf e6tracts (ere sho(n to hae in vitro to6ic
action against numerous bacteria& ?allocatechin isolated
from the methanol e6tract of guaa leaf sho(ed
antimutagenic actiity against Escherichia coli (Manosroi
et al&, '//.:& Bater and chloroform e6tracts of guaa
(ere effectie in actiating the mutagenicity of
Salmonella typhimurium (?roer and Bala, 133*:& 1he
antimicrobial actiities of P. guajava and leaf e6tracts,
determined by dis" diffusion method 9Eone of inhibition:,
(ere compared to tea tree oil 911O:, do6ycycline and
clindamycin antibiotics& !t (as sho(n that P. guajava leaf
e6tracts might be beneficial in treating acne especially
those that hae anti#inflammatory actiities
9Fadan,
'//<:& 1he actie flaonoid compound # 4uercetin#*#
Oalpha# l#arabinopyranoside 9guaijaerin: # e6tracted
from leaes has high potential anti#pla4ue actiity by
inhibiting the gro(th of Streptococcus mutans 9-imsong
et al&, '//D:&
Gaiarj 91333: tested the anti#cough and antimicrobial
actiities of P. guajava leaf e6tracts& 1he guaa
juice sho(ed some positie effects on reducing
coughs and the leaes demonstrated some antimicrobial
actiity on S. aureus and beta#streptococcus groups&
?nan and Demello 91333: also performed e6periments
on the inhibition of S. aureus by a4ueous ?ioba 9P.
guajava) e6tracts& 1he ?ioba leaf and fruit e6tracts
sho(ed antimicrobial actiity against the nine different
strains of S. aureus&
?uaa leaf e6tract inhibited the gro(th of
Streptococcus aureus in a study carried out by disc
diffusion method 9+bdelrahim, '//':& -in et al& 9'//':
tested P. guajava e6tracts for anti#microbial actiities
against different species of diarrheagenic E. coli,
Salmonella, and Shigella& P. guajava sho(ed inhibitory
actiities against t(o species of Salmonella, Shigella
flexneri, Shigella vircho, and Shigella dysenteriae, and
t(o arieties of enteropathgenic E. coli. ?uaa sprouts
9young leaes of P. guajava: hae been used in BraEilian
medicine for gastrointestinal disorders, the microbicidal
actiity of P. guajava sho(ed inhibition on E. coli and S.
aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri and Shigella
dysenteriae 9$aceres et al&, 133/, 133*:& Dutta et al&
9'///: tested P. guajava against dermatophytes
Trichophtyon tonsurans, Trichophyton ru!um and
Microsporum fulvum& +lmost all dermatophytes sho(ed
no gro(th (ith the e6ception of t(o0 Trichosporon !eigelli
and "andida al!icans& 26tracts from both the bar" and
leaes (ere used, although the e6tracts from the bar"
(ere more efficient in inhibiting the dermatophytes than
the leaes& 1he leaes and bar" also act as an
antidiarrhoeic 9-utterodt, 13A3, 133'@ 1ona et al&, 133A@
1ona et al&, '///:&
26isting literature has reported that P. guajava has
demonstrated considerable anti#fungal and anti#bacterial
effects& !n this research, an e6periment (as designed to
determine the effects of P. guajava on organisms
responsible for s"in disorders, specifically the fungi M.
gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, and bacteria S. aureus and
S. epidermidis.
2!TER-!3( !.0 2ET4/0(
%lant material
1he leaes and bar" of the P. guajava plant (as harested from
Obasa farm !jero 2"iti State, during the beginning of rainy season in
March, '//3& 1he plant (as ta"en to the Department of Botany,
Olabisi Onabanjo Uniersity, Ogun state and identified by Dr Sannu
+chidi, Ogun State, %igeria for authentication& +fter
authentication, a oucher sample of the plant (as deposited in
the herbarium of the Uniersity&
%reparation of Psidium guajava aqueous leaf and bark extracts
(%5!3'E) and its fractions
1he leaes of Psidium guajava (ere rinsed in distilled (ater to
remoe dirt, dried in an air#oen at D/H$ for * days, and then
puleriEed into fine po(der that passed through a */#mesh siee&
+4ueous solutions (ere obtained by grinding the leaes and the
bar"& +fter grinding, 1// ml of ethyl alcohol (as added& 1(o
solutions (ere prepared using traditional methods& One solution
(as left out for t(o days at room temperature and then placed in
the refrigerator& 1he other solution (as immediately placed in the
refrigerator& Both solutions (ere agitated t(ice daily for < min,
after
C days both solutions (ere strained through sterile
cheesecloth, and placed bac" inside of the refrigerator&
Test for antimicrobial and anti6fungal
effect
Mueller#5inton agar (as used to gro( the bacteria S. aureus
and S. epidermidis& Sabouraud De6trose broth (as used to gro(
the fungi T. mentagrophytes and M. gypseum& + modified Iirby#
Bauer method (as performed to test the effectieness of the
guaa e6tract on the bacteria S. aureus and S. epidermis& '< Jl
of each solution (as added to sterile discs and placed on the
Mueller# 5inton agar of each bacterium& + negatie control blan"
disc, a positie 1etracycline control disc, and an ethanol control
disc (ere
Fagbohun et al& DC
Table 17 Staphylococcus aureus gro(th inhibition diameter in millimeters
9mm:&
%arameter 2ean 8 (7E %6value
B# Blan" disc 9negatie control:
1# 1etracycline 9positie
control: S1# Solution 1 9'< Jl:
/
*.&< 7 1&3*==
'1&. 7 1&AC
/
P ; /&/<
P ; /&/<
S'# Solution ' 9'< Jl:
2# 2thyl alcohol control
'/&' 7 '&D<
D 7 '&C1
P ; /&/<
P K /&/<
,alues are e6pressed as mean 7 S&2, ==p ; /&/1
Table $7 Staphylococcus epidermidis gro(th inhibition diameter in millimeters 9mm:&
%arameter 2ean 8 (7E %6value
B# Blan" disc 9negatie control:
1# 1etracycline 9positie
control:
/
*A&D 7 '&</==
/
P ; /&/<
S1# Solution 1 9'< Jl:
S'# Solution ' 9'< Jl:
'D&3 7 *&/C
'D&. 7 '&<.
P ; /&/<
P ; /&/<
2# 2thyl alcohol control '&' 7 '&<. P K /&/<
,alues are e6pressed as mean7 S&2, ==p;/&/1
Table &7 Microsporum gypseum gro(th results for each test group&
M. gypseum M. gypseum (L antifungal M. gypseum (L solution 1 M. gypseum (L solution '
1ube 1 MMMM 1ube 1 # 1ube 1 # 1ube 1 #
1ube ' MM 1ube ' # 1ube ' # 1ube ' #
1ube * MMM 1ube * # 1ube * # 1ube * #
Positie gro(th ranging from DM to 1M&
also placed on the agar of each dish and (ere incubated for 'D
h& +fter incubation, the diameters of the inhibition Eones
(ere measured in millimeters& 2ach test (as conducted
(ith 1< replicates& +n +%O,+ 1u"ey8s test (as performed&
1(enty#four tubes of Sabouraud De6trose broth containing
e6tract 910D// L: (ere inoculated, t(ele tubes of fungi M.
gypseum and t(ele tubes of T. mentagrophytes& +s a negatie
control, a tube (as inoculated (ith fungi only and as a positie
control tube t(o drops of a 1olnaftate topical 1N anti#fungal
solution (as placed in the inoculated broth& 1he tubes (ere
incubated in a sha"ing (ater bath for t(o days& +fter incubation,
the tubes (ere obsered for fungi gro(th, and a 4ualitatie reading
(ith the degree of gro(th represented from four plus 9M: to one
plus 9M:& 1hree replicates (ere performed for each test group&
(tatistical
anal"sis
+nalysis of the antibacterial action of the e6tracts of guaa leaes
(as carried out at different concentrations, by comparing the mean
diameter of the inhibition haloes as a ariable& B hen the
halo produced surpassed the measurement of the diameter of the
disc 9.&// mm:, (e considered that there had been gro(th
inhibition of the tested strains& ,alues (ere represented as mean
7 S&2& +n +%O,+ 1u"ey8s test (as performed to determine the
mean difference bet(een the control and the t(o treatment
solution of P. guajava&
RE(13T(
1he bacteria S. aureus and S. epidermidis, and fungi M.
gypseum and T. mentagrophyte (ere inhibited by P.
guajava a4ueous e6tracts& S. aureus 91able 1: and S.
epidermidis 91able ': P. guajava solutions (ere effectie
in inhibiting bacterial gro(th& %either e6tract (as as
effectie as the positie control 91etracycline:, but both
(ere more effectie compared to the ethyl alcohol control
and the negatie control 9blan" disc:& 1his confirms that
the P. guajava e6tract (as the actie compound inhibiting
the gro(th and not the solent&
+%O,+ 1u"ey8s test indicated a significant 9p ; /&/<:
difference bet(een the aerage of both controls and the
t(o treatments for S. aureus and S. epidermidis 91ables
1 and ':& 1here (as no significant difference bet(een the
Eones of inhibition for the t(o different preparations of P.
guajava solutions for both S. aureus and S. epidermidis&
Due to the rhiEoid#type gro(th (hich remained
clumped in broth culture, the gro(th of fungi M. gypseum
91able *: and T. mentagrophyte 91able D: could not be
measured 4uantitatiely& 5o(eer, in the presence of the
commercial anti#fungal solution and the t(o P. guajava
+d Med Plant )es DA
Table 97 Trichophyton mentagrophytes gro(th results for each test group&
T. mentagrophyte T. mentagrophyte w/ antifungal T. mentagrophyte w/ solution 1 T. mentagrophyte w/ solution 2
Tube 1 ++++ Tube 1 - Tube 1 - Tube 1 -
Tube 2 +++ Tube 2 - Tube 2 - Tube 2 -
Tube 3 ++ Tube 3 - Tube 3 - Tube 3 -
Positie gro(th ranging from DM to 1M&
solutions, fungi gro(th (as preented&
0-()1((-/. !.0 )/.)31(-/.
!n comparing the 1etracycline positie control to both
solutions, 1etracycline had a significantly 9p ; /&/<:
stronger inhibition effect than both solutions& 1his could
be due to the fact that the 1etracycline is a pure chemical
(hile the P. guajava solutions (ere crude e6tracts& Our
results support the findings of ,ieira et al& 9'//1:, (hich
also reported the antibacterial effect of guaa leaes
e6tracts and found that they inhibited the gro(th of S.
aureus& ?nan and Demello 91333: testing guaa leaf
e6tract, found good antimicrobial actiity against nine
different strains of S. aureus. Berdy et al& 913A': and
$aceres et al& 9133*: described the antibiotic actiity of
the a4ueous e6tract of dried leaes and bar" of P.
guajava to guajaerin and psidiolic acid&
Both P. guajava solutions (ere effectie against
inhibiting the gro(th of bacteria S. aureus and S.
epidermidis, and fungi M. gypseum and T.
mentagrophytes& 1his supports the reported use of P.
guajava in many countries as a traditional herbal
medicine&
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