Abstract:
This study evaluated the phytochemical and antimicrobial activities of green, orthodox and black Kenyan tea on
five microorganisms with the possible purpose of determining their pharmacological significance/ medicinal value.
The in vitro antimicrobial activities of three extracts of tea was done using humanly isolated strains of
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus faecalis, and, Candida albicans.
The assays were carried out by agar well diffusion. Streptomycin and cefadroxil served as the control drugs. The
aqueous tea extract were found to be more effective against the tested bacteria than fungi at high concentration.
Orthodox tea had no antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Candida albicans. Extracts of
green tea, orthodox and black tea showed activity on Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations ranging from 100-
150mgml-1 having comparable diameters of zones of inhibition of 10.0±0.0 20.0±0.0, 4±0.2- 8.0 ±0.0 and 6.5±0.0,
7.4 ±0.2 respectively. The first two tea extracts demonstrated activities on Escherichia coli and Streptococcus
faecalis at concentrations ranging from 100-400mgml-1 with relatively close diameters of zones of inhibition. Only
black tea inhibition the growth Candida albicans at the MIC of 100mgml-1 whereas, Salmonella typhimurium was
inhibited by green tea and black tea extracts at the MIC of 200mgml-1. Black tea also inhibited growth of E. Coli,
but at concentration ranging from 200-400mgml-1 with diameter zones of inhibition from 3.5±0.0- 4.0±0.0 and a
MIC of 150mgml-1. Phytoscreening of the three extracts of tea showed the presence of cardiacglycosides,
alkaloids, saponins, flavanoids, terpenes and tannins.
