Antimicrobial and Phytochemical Studies on Extracts of Bucholzia coriacea Seeds (PDF)

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2013 in the subject Chemistry - Bio-chemistry, grade: none, Madonna University Elele, Nigeria, course: Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, language: English, abstract: The in vitro antimicrobial activity of crude methanol and aqueous extracts of the seeds of Bucholzia coriacea were investigated. The extracts exhibited antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhii, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the ethanol extract was between 0.50 - 6.00 mgml-1 while the minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 2.0 - 10.0. The methanol and water extracts exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger with zones of inhibition of 7.50 and 2.80mm for Candida albicans; and 6.0 and 2.0 for Aspergillus niger. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids in the ethanolic and water extracts. The ability of the ethanol extract of Bucholzia coriacea seeds to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi is an indication of its broad spectrum antimicrobial potential which justifies its utilization in traditional medicine in treatment of infections.