In vitro antibacterial activity of seven plants used traditionally to treat wound myiasis in animals in southern Africa

Abstract

In the extreme situation of subsistence farming where insecticides and other veterinary medicines are either unavailable or unaffordable, the use of plants in the treatment of wound myiasis in livestock has been reported worldwide. However, the exact effect of these plants on myiatic wounds has not been established. This study was therefore undertaken to establish the biological activity of seven species of plants which are used traditionally and are claimed to be effective in the treatment of wound myiasis. Plants that have a wide distribution in southern Africa were selected. This paper focuses on the antibacterial activity of these plants on bacteria known to be among the common contaminants of wounds. It has been shown that bacterial action on wounds produce compounds which have an odour that serve as an attractant of myiasis-causing flies. The antibacterial activity of the plants was investigated using a microdilution assay and bioautography methods. All the tested plants had inhibitory activity against the test bacteria. Inhibiting bacterial activity reduces the attractants of myiasis-causing flies to the wound. Thus, inhibiting bacteria action on wounds will interfere with the development of wound myiasis. This could be one of the mechanism through which the plants that are used traditionally in the treatment of wound myiasis work.