Synergistic antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of Carica papaya and Senna didymobotrya against selected human pathogens in Western Kenya

Susy Mukulo; Loise Mureithi; Annette O. Busula

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.3.93

Authors

Susy Mukulo Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Kaimosi Friends University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0607-9218
Loise Mureithi Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Kaimosi Friends University, Kenya
Annette O. Busula Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Kaimosi Friends University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4219-3421

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.93

Keywords:

Synergy, medicinal plants, antimicrobial resistance, Carica papaya, Senna didymobotrya

Abstract

With the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, efforts have been made to find alternative therapeutic agents, especially medicinal plants. The present study assessed the synergistic antimicrobial effect of ethanol extracts of Carica papaya and Senna didymobotrya against the microorganisms Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Seeds were obtained from four sub-counties of Bungoma County, Kenya, extracted using 95% ethanol, and tested both singly and in combination using the agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and zones of inhibition (ZOI) were measured. Both extracts were found to contain flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, phenols, and terpenoids, as revealed by phytochemical screening. Both plants were found to be antimicrobial at concentrations ≥50%. Interestingly, synergistic combinations showed increased antibacterial activity against S. pyogenes and S. aureus, especially at 50–100% concentrations, but no synergistic activity was seen against C. albicans. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the combination of extracts from C. papaya and S. didymobotrya has potential as an alternative antimicrobial agent with good antibacterial synergy. The study recommends that a scientifically validated combination of C. papaya and S. didymobotrya ethanolic extracts be included in national antimicrobial resistance strategies and community-level health-resilience programmes as a complementary, locally available intervention to decrease the use of conventional antibiotics, especially in resource-limited settings. To facilitate safe clinical application, further translational research is needed, such as toxicity profiling, dosage standardization, and in vivo validation.

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