Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Charred and Uncharred Skins of Four-Toed Hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris (Erinaceidae) used in Traditional Management of Boils in Ghana

Abstract Aim The charred dry skin of the Four-toed Hedgehog ( Atelerix albiventris ) is used as traditional medicine to treat boils. This study was to validate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of charred dry skin of Atelerix albiventris against microorganisms implicated in boils and to determine the antioxidant activity of these extracts. We also aimed to assess if the ethanolic extract of the uncharred skin possesses comparable bioactivity to the charred sample. Methodology Well diffusion and broth dilution methods were used for the antimicrobial activity, recording the zone of inhibition, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal/Fungicidal concentrations of the extracts and the controls. The antioxidant activity was determined by employing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals scavenging and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) assays. Results The test results showed that the charred extracts possess significantly antimicrobial activity against the tested microbes than the uncharred samples. Against the fungus Candida albicans , the charred extract recorded a zone of inhibition of 19 mm at 50 mg/ml, while against the main boil-causing bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus , the charred extract showed activity even at 25 mg/ml (10.7 mm) with the uncharred extract only becoming bioactive at 250 mg/ml concentration (14.7 mm). The DPPH scavenging activity showed that the IC 50 is 133.40 µg/ml for ascorbic acid, 210.43 µg/ml for charred and 138.93 µg/ml for the uncharred sample. On the other hand, the total antioxidant capacity of the charred sample was higher with Gallic Acid Equivalent Concentrations of 452.03 GAE mg/g as compared to the uncharred sample with 30.75 GAE mg/g. Conclusion The results of this study validate the traditional use of the skin of Atelerix albiventris for the treatment of boils in Ghana. The significantly higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activity exhibited by the extract of the charred sample over the uncharred also validates the method of preparation traditionally employed.