Background: Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide because of antibiotic resistance. Ageratum conyzoides is one of the antimicrobial medicinal plants that is being used to fight various multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria in Burkina Faso.

Aim: The aim was to promote safe medicinal use of A. conyzoides by highlighting the anti-biofilm and anti-motility effects of its methanol extract.

Setting: The study was conducted at the Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Methods: The antibacterial activities of methanol extract were evaluated by evaluating swimming, swarming and twitching motilities performed in an agar medium. The anti-biofilm effect was conducted in microtiter plates using the crystal violet method. The antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl; 2,2’-azino-bis (3-éthylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and conducting lipoxygenase test.

Results: From the study, 100 µg/mL and 200 µg/mL of extract presented significant inhibition of P. aeruginosa and E. coli swarming motility but did not exhibit a significant effect on P. aeruginosa swimming and E. coli twitching motilities. The extract was effective in reducing biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting bacterial growth. In addition, the extract showed some capabilities to inhibit lipoxygenase activity and exhibit antioxidant potential, which could contribute to the control of oxidative stress-related diseases.

Conclusion: From this study the anti-biofilm and anti-motility potential of the A. conyzoides extract provided the experimental background for the further development of antibacterial drugs.

Contribution: This study provided additional scientific evidence to support the use of A. conyzoides in traditional medicine against bacterial infections.

Ageratum conyzoides, antioxidant, biofilm, motility, swimming, swarming, twitching, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli,