SM Journal of Medicinal Plant Studies Gr up SM How to cite this article Kouadio NJ, BG Kipre, Guessennd NK, Kouassi KA, Yao K and Kone MW. Activity Evaluation of Leaves’ Extracts of Funtumia Africana Stapf (Apocynaceae) towards Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Phytochemical Screening. SM J Med Plant Stud. 2017; 1(1): 1001. https://dx.doi.org/10.36876/smjmps.1001 OPEN ACCESS ISSN: 2638-4698 Introduction In developing countries, infectious diseases constitute a public health concern for being recurrent and deadly [1]. To illustrate, half of the 17 millions of deaths due to them, was recorded in Africa [2]. For this reason, antibiotic drugs discovery was a relief for humanity because it allowed to signifcantly deplete the incidence of infectious diseases, especially in western countries [3]. Nevertheless, the inappropriate use of antimicrobials brought about bacteria multidrug-resistance. Among these pathogenic agents, are Staphylococcus aureus. In developing countries, for cultural and fnancial reasons, people address plant-based medications to treat infectious diseases. Te great interest for traditional medicine could be explained by the higher cost of modern medication added up to the emergence of bacteria resistance [4]. In order to face these obstacles to public healthcare, urgent initiatives were taken to seek for natural compounds potentially active and efcient for patients’ efective treatment. To achieve this goal, medicinal plants were explored as an immense reservoir. Tat encompasses antibacterial bearing species. In so doing, Funtumia africana Stapf (Apocynaceae) was identifed as a traditional medication that cures pneumonia, women unfertility, coughing, diarrhea, urinary infections, tuberculosis and chronic wounds [5]. Terefore, the present work aims at evaluating the antibacterial activity of the leaf extracts of F.africana against methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, secondary metabolites were screened out to reveal prospective new active compounds. Materials and Methods Materials Te plant materials were essentially comprised of extracts obtained from leaves’ powder of Funtumia africana. Te leaves were collected in Lakota, in the western region of Côte d’Ivoire and located at a distance 244 km from Abidjan. Tey were then identifed at the herbarium of Centre National de Floristique, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire, and registered under voucher number 15838. Research Article Activity Evaluation of Leaves’ Extracts of Funtumia Africana Stapf (Apocynaceae) towards Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Phytochemical Screening Kouadio NJ 1,2,4 , BG Kipre 1,2,4 *, Guessennd NK 1,3 , Kouassi KA 2,4 , Yao K 2,4 and Kone MW 1,2,4 1 Département de Bactériologie/Virologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d’Ivoire (IPCI), Côte d’Ivoire 2 Université Nangui Abrogoua (UNA), Côte d’Ivoire 3 Université Félix Houphouët Boigny (UFHB), Côte d’Ivoire 4 Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifques en Côte d’Ivoire. Côte d’Ivoire Article Information Received date: Jun 06, 2017 Accepted date: Jun 29, 2017 Published date: Jul 26, 2017 *Corresponding author BG Kipre, Institut Pasteur Côte d’Ivoire, Département de Bactériologie/ Virologie, Centre National de Reference Antibiotiques, 3 Avenue de l’Université Cocody, B.P 490, Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire, Email: bgkipre070@gmail.com Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 Keywords Antibacterial; Medicinal plants; Ivorian national fora; Crude extracts Article DOI 10.36876/smjmps.1001 Abstract Funtumia africana Stapf. (Apocynaceae) is among the diverse medicinal plants of Ivorian National fora used for several pathologies’ treatment. Complexity in curing some of the diseases associated with bacteria resistance, brought up ineffciency of a great number of current antimicrobial drugs. The present study evaluates the antibacterial activity of the crude extracts of the leaves of F.africana against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, secondary metabolites were screened out to discover new groups of molecular compounds responsible for specifc activity. Bioassay experiments used were disk diffusion and Muller-Hinton broth dilution methods, to respectively determine the inhibition zone diameters and antibacterial key factors. As for the phytochemical investigation, test tubes colorimetric method was performed. Results showed that hydro-alcoholic and aqueous extracts of F.africana displayed strong activity with respective inhibition zone diameter comprised between 17.4 mm and 25.7 mm, and 16.7 mm and 19.7 mm. For both types of extracts, the Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) varied from 0.046 to 1.56 mg/mL, demonstrating as a result, a bactericidal effect against the majority of strains tested. The current work, therefore justifes the use of F.africana as traditional medicine against bacterial infections.