Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing www.iiste.org ISSN 2422-8419 An International Peer-reviewed Journal DOI: 10.7176/JHMN Vol.63, 2019 24 In-Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Ruta Chalepensis (Tenadam) and Justicia Shimperiana(Senel) Plants against Some Bacterial Human Pathogens Habtamu Tedila * Addisu Assefa Velmurugan Shanmugam College of Natural and Computational Science Department of Biology (Stream of Applied Microbiology), Madda Walabu University, PO box 247, Bale Robe, Ethiopia Abstract The leave extracts of Ruta chalepensis and Justicia schimperiana were the most powerful medicinal value. The plant extraction followed by ethanol, methanol acetone, diethyl ether and hexane by using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods (MIC) against six human pathogenic bacterial strains (Shigella dysentery, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumonia). The methanol extract of J. schimperiana showed strong inhibition activity against S. dysentery and E. coli with a zone size of 14.5±0.5mm and 16±0.2mm and MIC values of 3.12mg/ml against E. coli and S. dysentry. Highly prominent activity was produced by the ethanol extract of R. chalepensis with the highest zone of 15±0.5mm diameter observed in S. typhi, followed by S. aureus13±0.11mm with the MIC value of 1.56mg/ml against S. typhi. Four antibiotics were used as standard for the testing of antibacterial activity against six different human pathogens. Among the antibiotics Ciprofloxin showed maximum zone of inhibition ranging from 20-35mm followed by Kanamycin, Tetracycline and Chlormphenicol. Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Broth dilution, Disc diffusion, Human pathogens DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/63-03 Publication date:June 30 th 2019 INTRODUCTION The discovery and development of antibiotics are among the most powerful and successful achievements of modern science and technology for the control of infectious diseases. The number of multi-drug resistant microbial strains presented (Blair et al., 2015). There is an urgent need to control antimicrobial resistance by improved antibiotic usage and reduction of hospital cross-infection. However, the development of new antibiotics should be continued as they are of primary importance to maintain the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatment (Marchese and Shito, 2001). The potential for developing antimicrobials from higher plants appears rewarding as it is lead to the development of a phytomedicine to act against microbes; as a result, plants are one of the bedrocks for modern medicine to attain new principles (Evans et al., 2002). Plant based antimicrobials have enormous therapeutic potential as they can serve the purpose without any attributable side effects that are often associated with synthetic antimicrobials. Further continued exploration of plant derived antimicrobials is current needed (Hussain and Gorsi, 2004). Medicinal plants constitute an effective source of both traditional and modern medicines. Herbal medicine has been shown to have genuine utility and about 80% of rural population depends on it as primary health care (Akinyemi et al., 2005). In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have spent a lot of time and money in developing natural products extracted from plants, to produce more cost effective remedies that are affordable to the population (Doughari, 2006). The screening of plant extracts and plant products for antimicrobial activity has shown that plants represent a potential source of new anti-infective agents (Salvat et al., 2001; Costa et al., 2008). Numerous experiments have been carried out to screen natural products for antimicrobial property (Ateb and Erdourul, 2003; Nair and Chanda, 2006; Nair et al., 2007; Ndhlala et al., 2009. Many plants have been used because of their antimicrobial traits, which are due to compounds synthesized in the secondary metabolism of the plant (Nascimento et al.,2000). Ruta chalepensis is strongly scented evergreen sub shrubs 20–60 cm tall. The leaves are bi pinnate or trip innate. The flowers are yellow, with 4–5 petals, about 1 cm diameter, and borne in cymes. The fruits of the plant are 4-5 lobed capsules, containing numerous seeds. Traditionally, used as remedy for many inflammatory diseases and as an antispasmodic, as a treatment for menstrual problems, as an abortifacient and as a sedative and for the treatment of rheumatism and mental disorders. In Ethiopia, the leaves are used for myalgia, cold, whooping cough, abdominal pain, anti-emetic, inflammatory diseases, dropsy, neuralgia, rheumatism and menstrual and other bleeding disorders (Figure 1). brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE): E-Journals