Antimicrobial Activities of <i>Solanum aculeastrum</i> Fruit Extract against <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Candida albicans</i>: Significance of African Traditional Medicine in Combating Infections and Attaining Universal Health Coverage

Abstract

Solanum aculeastrum , a member of the Solanum genus, has a rich history of traditional use in various populations throughout tropical and southern Africa for treating different ailments. This study investigated the antimicrobial activities of S. aculeastrum fruit extracts grown in Zambia against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (ATCC 25923), and Candida albicans ( C. albicans ). After being dried in an oven at 50 &#176; C for eight days, the fruits of S. aculeastrum were pulverised and subjected to extraction using methanol and distilled water as solvents. The resulting crude extract was then filtered, concentrated using a water bath, and packed into airtight containers separately. The disc diffusion method was employed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the extracts. The results showed that both the methanolic and aqueous extracts demonstrated antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and C. albicans , but not against E. coli . The zone of inhibition was greater in S. aureus than in C. albicans . This study highlights the importance of researching plants for their medicinal properties, which can pave the way for discovering natural product-based drugs with potential antimicrobial properties. These findings recommend further studies on plants used in African traditional medicine.