EXPLORING THE ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN BIU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BORNO STATE ON BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL PATHOGENS
SANUSI MOHAMMED KABIRU1, PHILIP DANIEL BABANI1
1. Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, Nigeria.
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 18(2): 751-759; 2026
ABSTRACT
The increasing incidence of drug-resistant pathogens raises an urgent need to identify and isolate new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. This research investigated the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of Azadirachta indica, Syzygium cumini and Moringa oleifera collected from three locations (Nasarawa, Assorock and Dugja). The plants were analyzed using standard procedures to identify the presence of various qualitative phytochemical compounds. The experiment was completely randomized with three replications. The results were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at P<0.05. Six different phytochemicals (alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, phenolic and tannins), were tested in each plant extracts which showed the presence (+) of phenolics and terpenoids in Azadirachta indica, and Syzygium cumini but absent (-) in Moringa oleifera, alkaloids and tannins were presence (+) in Moringa oleifera but absent (-) in Azadirachta indica, and Syzygium cumini. There is significant reduction in the radial expansion of the bacterial and fungal pathogens using the three medicinal plants in which Azadirachta indica, showed the highest inhibition of Bacterial growth; Staphylococcus aureus (22.5 mm) and Escherichia coli (25.0 mm) followed by Syzygium cumini then Moringa oleifera. Furthermore, Syzygium cumini showed the highest inhibition on Aspergillus niger (42.5 mm) and Aspergillus flavus (12.5 mm) followed by Azadirachta indica, and Moringa oleifera. It is concluded that medicinal plants such as Azadirachta indica, Syzygium cumini and Moringa oleifera have high antimicrobial potency due to the presence of phytochemical constituents and therefore, should be used as a bio-control agents.
Keywords: Medicinal Plants, Phytochemicals, Bacterial, Fungal, Pathogens.
Email of correspondence: [email protected]
https://doi.org/10.59493/ajopred/2026.2.5 ISSN: 0794-800X (print); 1596-2431 (online)