PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA (BITTER LEAF), TELFAIRIA OCCIDENTALIS (PUMPKIN LEAF) AND OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM (SCENT LEAF)

Abstract

Phytochemical and antimicrobial screening is the extraction, analysis and identification of the bio-active components found in plants and the effects of such bio-active components against bacterial species. The analysis were conducted on three plant samples: Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaf), Telfairia occidentalis (Pumpkin leaf) and Ocimum gratissimum (Scent leaf). The leaf samples were collected from the Botanical Garden of the department of Biological Sciences Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. The bacterial isolate; Staphylococcus aureus was collected from the department of Microbiology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. The phytochemical screening of the plant samples was conducted using standard methods, where bio-active components such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, phlobatannins and steroids were screened. The antimicrobial analysis was conducted using the Nutrient agar diffusion method. The bio-active components found from the phytochemical screening were saponins, tannins, glycosides, alkaloids and flavonoids. The antimicrobial activities showed the highest zones of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus in Vernonia amygdalina (7.5 mm) and lowest in Ocimum gratissimum (6.0 mm). These leaf samples are good source of bio-active components which are capable of suppressing bacterial infection that cause diseases.

Keywords

• antimicrobial screening
• bio-active components
• ocimum gratissimum
• telfairia occidentalis
• vernonia amygdalina