PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SARCOCEPHALUS POBEGUINII L. LEAF EXTRACT

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SARCOCEPHALUS POBEGUINII L. LEAF EXTRACT

Nuhu AA*, Odinaka UF
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, P.M.B 1069, Zaria, Kaduna State

Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 9(1): 86-92; June/July 2017

ABSTRACT
People still rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary source of health care. The infusion of Sarcocephalus pobeguinii leaves is taken as a remedy for fever. This study investigated the phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of ethanol: water (4:1) extract of Sarcocephalus pobeguinii leaf. The phytochemical evaluation was carried out using standard methods while agar well diffusion method was used to study antimicrobial activity. Results obtained reveal that the extract contained some detectable phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins and saponins, whereas steroids and terpenoids were absent. The extract was effective against bacterial species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus substilis, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa while fungi (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were resistant to the extract. The MIC and MBC values were in the range of 25 – 100 mg/ml of the extract. These results support the use of the extract as herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases.

KEYWORDS: Antimicrobials, Antibiotics, Extract, Phytochemicals, Sarcocephalus pobeguinii

Email of correspondence: aanuhu@yahoo.com