In an attempt to identify novel sources of cheap starting material for the synthesis of new anti-infective
agents, the antimicrobial activity of crude acetone, ethanol and methanol extracts of the stem bark of
Combretum molle were investigated against 32 clinical strains of Helicobacter pylori and a standard
control strain NCTC 11638 by agar well diffusion and micro-broth dilution. Metronidazole,
clarithromycin and amoxicillin were included in these experiments as positive control antibiotics. All
the extracts tested exhibited anti-H. pylori activity with zone diameters of inhibition between 0 to 38
mm. The acetone extract showed potent anti-H. pylori activity, giving a percentage susceptibility of
87.5%. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for this extract ranged from 0.078 to 2.50 mg/ml
while those for amoxicillin and metronidazole ranged from 0.001 to 1.25 mg/ml and 0.004 to 5.0 mg/ml
respectively. The inhibitory activity of the acetone extract was similar to amoxicillin (P>0.05) as
opposed to metronidazole (P