The antibacterial and antifungal analysis of crude extracts from the leaves and bark of Pimenta species found in Jamaica

Due to the rapid increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, medicinal plants are being studied as new and promising alternatives to conventional antibiotic treatment. The crude hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from Pimenta dioica, Pimenta jamaicensis and Pimenta racemosa were quantitatively assessed to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility and potency using zones of inhibition methods, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations minimum (MBC) or fungicidal concentrations concentration (MFC) against Streptococcus A, Streptococcus B, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella species, Proteus mirabilis and Candida albicans. The crude ethyl acetate extract of the P. dioica was most active against Candida albicans (MFC of 1.3 mg/mL and MIC of 0.63 mg/mL) while the crude hexane extract of P. jamaicensis was most active against Streptococcus A (MBC of 0.63 and MIC of 1.3 mg/mL). The crude ethyl acetate extract of P. racemosa was most active against Streptococcus A and Salmonella (MBC of 2.5 mg/mL and MIC of 1.3 mg/mL; MBC of 0.63 and MIC of 0.63 mg/mL, respectively). Extracts from selected species of Pimenta may potentially provide a source of new antimicrobial agents for the treatment of infectious diseases.   Key words: Pimenta dioica, Pimenta jamaicensis, Pimenta racemosa, antimicrobial.