Susceptibilities of Aerobic Bacteria Associated with Bovine Mastitis to Leaf Extracts of Bauhinia reticulata

Abstract

The susceptibilities of 16 aerobic bacterial isolates from 76 milk samples collected from 19 cows with udder inflammation to aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Bauhinia reticulata was determined by the agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of test extracts that gave inhibition were determined using the tube dilution method. The phytochemicals present in the whole leaf powder and the various leaf extracts were also qualitatively assayed using conventional techniques. The aqueous extract of Bauhinia reticulata inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus uberis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium gravis and Bacillus cereus. The methanolic extract inhibited only Escherichia coli. The MIC of the different leaf extracts was found to vary greatly, and ranged from 6.25mg/ml to 25mg/ml.