Antibacterial Activity Of Averrhoa Bilimbi L.
Skin is a blockade that prevents the penetration of the infectious bacteria to our body. However, despite a potent cutaneous immune system, many different microbial communities thrive on the surface. The challenge for the skin’s immune system is that it is charged with resisting infections, but must do so under normal conditions in the absence of cell recruitment and inflammation. Failure to properly control and tolerate resident microbes results in skin disease. Skin bacterias are prone to slightly acidic and hot humid temperature, on the other hand tropical countries like the Philippines have a risk of exposure to bacterial skin infections.
Antibiotic preparations are the treatment for the management of skin infection, which supports refine clinical conditions and contribute to the remarkable fall in morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. Wound care is basic, but needs to give more relevance in the aspect of medicine. Improper treatment of wound can develop infections, which can slow down the healing process of the wound that result to scars. Antibacterial topical agents are commonly used to ease wound infections in patients. Even though developing drugs from plants used in traditional medical system is an old idea, yet it is a valuable way to produce a medication Traditional medicinal plants are often used to obtain preparations beneficial for wound healing purposes comprising a wide area of different skin-related diseases. The use of traditional and complementary medicine is the common practice in developing countries as a means of managing different ailments including wounds, which in turn can be potential source new safe and effective drugs. Herbal drugs are also formulated in the form of ointment that has become a conventional treatment for many skin infections, as it has a high significance in delivering therapeutically effective drug concentration in its site of action.
Averrhoa bilimbi L., commonly known as Kamias, belongs to the family of the Oxalidaceae, is a small sized plant which is medicinally used as curative for many diseases from time immemorial. Various medicinal attributes of plant against diabetes, bacterial and, fungal diseases, inflammation, cancer nutraceutical and antiscorbutic activities are well documented.
The use A.bilimbi for the treatment of various type of fevers, healing blisters and pimples, anal disorders, boils, arthritis, intestinal disorders, cough and cold, hypertension and as a soft drink by traditional healers under folk medicine was recorded from almost parts of the world. In the study of Zacharia et al, the fruit extract of A.bilimbi Linn. Results obtained demonstrated the potential of A.bilimbi fruits showed positive antibacterial activity against some of the gram positive and negative bacteria. The 100mg mL-1 Chloroform aqueous extract of A.bilimbi showed positive against the gram positive S. aureus, S. epidermidis, B. cereus, C. diphtheria and gram negative S.typhi, C. freundii, A. hydrophila and P. vulgaris. In conclusion, the A. bilimbi fruits possess potential antibacterial activity that requires through study.
