CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Plants are still a potential source of medical compounds. In the world, plants traditionally are used in oral health to treat many disease especially infectious diseases including treating many diseases including diarrhea, fever and cold, (Mitscher, 1981). According to world health organization (WHO) definition a medicinal plant, is a plant that can be used for therapeutics purposesor its compounds be used as a pioneer in the synthesis of semi-synthetic chemical drugs WHO, (1979).Plantsare utilized as therapeutic agents since time immemorial in both organized and unorganized form. Plants have been identified as the potent therapeutic agents, due to the presence of nutritional (mineral and vitamins) and non- nutritional (fibers, actives dnyto chemicals including the flavonoids, terpenoidslignans, sulfides, poly phenolics, carotenoids, saponins, plant sterols, curcumins and phthalides) component, hence promoted as functional food. The present paper highlights the functional properties of lemon grass (cymbopogoncitratus and moringaoleifera) which has been consumed on various forms.
The growing prevalence incidences of multi-drug resistant micro-organism and the recent appearance of new microbial strains resistant to utmost all known antibiotics are alarming and necessitated the international scientific community to apply different strategies and search for new effect we drugs from another source such as plant and natural products, (Kinch, 1998). Plant has attracted attention last years due to there pharmacological properties.
Lemon grass plant with scientific name cymbopogoncitratus belongs to the Graminae (poacea) family that contains about 600 series and 9000 species which are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical world,(Clayton, 1968). Lemon grass has the ability to control bacterial growth and fungal pollutants in food given as staphylococcusaureus and Escherichia coli, also the antioxidant activities of lemon grass plant has proven, so that lemon grass is been compare with alpha-tocopherol has stronger antioxidant activity and acts as BHT equivalent (ButylatedHydroxyToluene) (TiziannaBaratta, 1998). Studies show that lemon grass plant due to having alkaloids and phenols contains antibacterial properties.
Moringaoliefera tree has attracted attention last years due to its pharmacological properties. Moringaolieferais belonging to mainlymoringaceace. It is a fast-growing tropical edible tree. This plant is utilized from centuries and prescribed extensively in traditional medicine. It was mentioned in ancient Egyptian, Romans and Greeks. It is now distributed and cultivated as a crop in so many African, Asian, Latin America and Caribbean Countries’, (Fehey, 2005).
The leaves of Moringaoliefera have many photochemical secondary metabolites of great pharmacological properties.Such as alkaloids flavonoids, saponins, (Abalaka, 2012). All of these metabolites were found to have antimicrobial properties. Many medicinal uses were also reported, various parts of this plant employed as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of different plant extract.
1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
- To find the effectiveness of lemon grass (cymbopogoncitratus), moringaoliefera and lipton for the treatment of some selected pathogenic organisms.
- To evaluate the antibacterial activity of different plant extract.
- To compare the herbs lemon grass (cymbopogoncitratus) moringaoliefera&lipton with synthetic drugs.
- To check the effects of moringaoliefera,lipton and lemongrass extract on some selected pathogenic organisms.
1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Globally, traditional medicine (Herbs) has been ignored. Therefore, this study shows the importance of herbs especially moringaoliefera, lemon grass (cymbopogoncitratus) and lipton and it medicinal values.
1.4 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
This study was limited to bacterial species. The inavailability of an adequate culture media for plasmodium spp, restricted the work to bacterial only, whereas the herbs are also used locally for the treatment of malaria.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
- To create awareness to the public to know the importance of herbs. (moringa, lemon grass and lipton).
- To reduce the cost of synthetic drugs.
- To provide an understanding of the importance of herbs.
1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY
- This study focuses on herbs (moringa& lemon grass) and bacteria and their effect on bacterial such as Baccillus, staphylococcus aureus and E.coli.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of lemon grass, lipton and moringa extract on Bacillus, staph andE.coli.
- To compare between the aqueous and ethanoic extract of the selected plants