PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF EXTRACT AND FRACTIONS OF PACHYPODANTHIUM staudtii (ANNONACEAE) ENGL & DIELS
Obonga WO*1, Nwodo JN 1, Tchimene MK2, Okafor, SN1, Ali IJ1
1Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry University of Nigeria, 410001, Nsukka, Nigeria
2Department of Pharmacogonosy and Environmental Medicine University of Nigeria, 410001, Nsukka, Nigeria
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 10(1): 32-36; June/July 2018
ABSTRACT
The rapid spread of microbial infections and effort by scientists to identify novel antimicrobial agents from natural products has necessitated further search for antimicrobial agents from medicinal plants of Annonaceae family. This study was, therefore, designed to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of Pachypodanthium staudtii stem bark used by traditional medicine practitioners to treat infectious disease. The phytochemical test was conducted by standard protocols while the antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar dilution method. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, fat and oil, terpenoids, and cardiac glycoside in the bulk extract; terpenoids, fat and oil in the n-hexane fraction (PSHF); alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids in the ethyl acetate fraction (PSEAF) and alkaloids and cardiac glycoside the in the methanol fraction (PSMF). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of extracts and fraction range from 12.5 mg/ml – 100 mg/ml against some selected bacterial strains (ciprofloxacin 2.5 – 5.0 mg/ml) and 12.5 mg/ml – 50 mg/ml against some fungal strains (ketoconazole 1.25 mg/ml) respectively. Interestingly, the overall result of the MICs indicated that the extract and fractions showed good antimicrobial activity comparable to the standard drugs. Our findings justified the folkloric uses of P. staudtii stem bark in treating infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and therefore, could be a possible a source of new and effective antimicrobial remedy. Further studies are required to isolating and characterize the bioactive constituents for identification of antimicrobial lead compound(s).
KEYWORDS: Antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations, Pachypodanthium staudtii Phytochemistry
Email of correspondence: wilfred.obonga@unn.edu.ng