Antimicrobial and phytochemical profiling of Avicennia germinans leaves from Coastal and Riverine ecosystems of Guyana

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Summary Introduction: Mangroves are regarded as ‘nature’s medicine cabinet’ since they thrive in stressful environments, which enables the production of unique bioactive compounds that are not common in terrestrial plants. Objectives: We present a preliminary investigation on the antimicrobial properties and phytochemical profiling of Avicennia germinans leaves found in two distinct locations along the Guyana coastline. Methods: Using ethanol, methanol, and dichloromethane as extraction solvents, we utilised disk diffusion assays (at four concentrations) and broth macrodilution assays (at five two-fold dilutions) to investigate their antimicrobial efficacy against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Candida albicans. Additionally, we employed qualitative testing methods to generate a preliminary phytochemical profile for each leaf extract. Results: Our findings highlight the influence of location and solvent type on the antimicrobial performance of each leaf extract (p<0.05). Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans showed some resistance to the extracts (<15 mm) while Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli showcased some susceptibility at the 75% and 100% concentrations (>35 mm). Overall, the polar coastline extracts showcased superiority over the riverine extracts attributable to the presence of diverse phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins etc. Conclusion: While further research is needed to develop testing across multiple microbial strains, produce detailed metabolic profiles, and refine in vivo methods, our findings provide some evidence that mangroves have potential as natural antimicrobial treatments, with relevance to the rising concern of antimicrobial resistance in vulnerable populations. Broader exploration of mangrove-derived treatments may contribute to developing affordable, natural medicinal treatments for healthcare systems.

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