Conclusions
The findings of the present study have established the
susceptibilities of a broad range of bacteria particularly
Gram-negative pathogens to the latex of A. trichosantha
and its components.
The Gram-positive strains tested
were either not inhibited by or showed limited susceptibility
to any of the tested substances.
The inhibitory effects
of the isolated compounds against various pathogenic microorganisms
had clearly demonstrated the usefulness of
A. trichosantha in the treatment of various diseases causedby these pathogenic strains and explains, in part or in
whole, the use of the plant in traditional medicine.
Furthermore, the identification of such natural antimicrobial
compounds may lead to the development of
novel antimicrobials through structure/activity studies.