Sensitivity of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) Leaf Extract against Selected Urinary Tract Pathogens

Aims: The study was carried out to investigate cashew extract as anti – urinary tract infection.

Methods: The leaves of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) were extracted using ethanol and distilled water; however the leaf extracts of cashew were screened for anti-microbial activities by the in vitro cup-plate method of agar diffusion technique with concentration of about 10-5 s cells/ml of the selected bacteria; using ethanol and distilled water as control. Simultaneously; the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the two extracts on selected bacteria were also determined.

Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ethanolic and aqueous extract against the two organisms was 0.0625 g/l; namely E. coli and S. aureus except K. pneumoniae that occurred at 0.125 g/l. The two extracts were bactericidal at 0.25 g/l and above; below this concentration there were differentiations in the organism’s reaction to the extracts; for instance, the two extracts at 0.125 g/l were cidal; to the other two organisms; only K. pneumoniae was static. However at 0.0625g/l of the two extracts; the two organisms were static but K. pneumoniae showed growth.

Conclusion: Hence the leaf extract of Anacardium occidentale dissolved in distilled water and ethanol are good potential for the development of antibacterial drugs for urinary tract pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.