Purpose: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract of
Elaeis guineensis
leaf against
Staphylococcus Aureus
and to determine the effect of extract treatment on the microstructure of the microbe
Methods: The antimicrobial activity of the methanol leaf extract of the plant against
S. aureus was examined using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out to determine the major alterations in the microstructure of
S. aureus after treatment with the extract.
Results: The extract showed a good antimicrobial activity against
S. aureus with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 6.25 mg/mL and for Chloramphenicol was 30.00 µg/mL. The main changes observed under SEM and TEM were structural disorganization of the cell membrane which occurred after 12 h and total collapse of the cell 36 h after exposure to the extract.
Conclusion: We concluded that the methanolic extract of
E. guineensis
leaf exhibited good antimicrobial activity against
S. aureus and this is supported by SEM and TEM.
