European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF THE CRUDE, FLAVONOIDS AND SAPONINS EXTRACTS OF ARISTOLOCHIA ALBIDA, CALOTROPIS PROCERA AND ZIZIPHUS SPINA-CHRISTI AGAINST SOME PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS

Dr. Hamidu Usman*, Emmanuel Yusuf Ghulza, Aisha Ahmad Sanda, Leatu Haniel, Muhammad Awwal Tijjani, Adamu Ishaku Zadva

ABSTRACT

The use of herbs to treat diseases is almost universal among non-industrialized societies including Nigeria and is often more affordable than purchasing modern pharmaceuticals. Medicinal plants, therefore still remain feasible source of new compound for the drug development process. The crude and saponins entire plant extracts of Aristolochia albida and that of the root bark of Ziziphus spina-christi as well as the crude and flavonoids root bark extracts of Calotropis procera were evaluated for their phytochemical contents and antimicrobial potentials. In different folk medicine, these plants have been reported to be a remedy against different ailments such as dysentery, constipation, intestinal worms, fever, anaemia, cuts, and ulcer and wound infections. The phytochemical evaluation generally revealed the presence of cardiac glycoside, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, carbohydrate and tannins among others. The antimicrobial activity was assessed using hole-in-plate disc diffusion technique against pathogenic microorganisms: two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes); two Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) and a fungal species: Candida albicans. The inoculated plates were placed in an incubator at 37 oC and 40 oC for 24hours for bacterial and fungal species. The inhibition zone was measured in millimeter using a metre rule. The results revealed highest diameter of inhibition zones of 24.00±0.00 and 22.67±0.58 mm respectively against S. aureus and E. coli exhibited by saponins from A. albida while 22.67±0.58 mm was exhibited against C. albicans by the saponins of Z. spina-christi. Therefore, this work corroborated the traditional use of these plants in the treatment of wound and other related infections.

Keywords: antimicrobial, flavonoids, saponins, phytochemistry, Aristolochia, Calotropis and Ziziphus.