Antimicrobial activities of the stembark of Kigelia pinnata

Abstract Chemical investigation showed that the aqueous extracts of the stembark of Kigelia pinnata contain iridoids as major components. In the light of the traditional uses of this plant, antimicrobial activities of the aqueous extracts and two major iridoids were tested against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans . The crude aqueous extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity which could be partially explained by the activity of the iridoids present.