Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Analysis of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of the Bark of <i>Tabernaemontena pachysiphon</i> Stapf

Abstract

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activities of hot water, hot and cold ethanol ethanolic extracts of the bark of <i> Tabernaemontana pachysiphon </i> Stapf. were assayed, using standard techniques. <i> Escherichia coli </i> (<i> E. coli </i>), <i> Serratia marcescens </i> (<i> S. marcescens </i>), <i> Staphylococcus aureus </i> (<i> S. aureus </i>), <i> Alternaria solani </i> (<i> A. solani </i>), <i> Aspergillius niger </i> (<i> A. niger </i>)and <i> Penicilium notatum </i> (<i> P. notatum </i>) were used as the challenge / test organism. Agar well and paper disc diffusion techniques were adopted. Results showed that the bacteria; <i> E. coli, S. marcescens, S. aureus </i>, were susceptible to both hot water and hot ethanol extracts respectively with zones of inhibition as follows: <i> E. coli </i> (9, 12 mm) and (10, 15 mm), <i> S. marcescen </i> (9, 9 mm) and (9, 12 mm), <i> S. aureus </i> (8, 9mm) and (9, 10mm), respectively. The fungus; <i> P notatum </i> was susceptible to hot water, hot and cold ethanol extracts (7.5, 8, 8mm) and (7, 7.5, 7 mm). <i> A. solani </i> and<i> A. niger </i> were resistant to the bioactivity of the extracts. The presence of active principles; alkaloids, anthraquinone, cardiac glycosides, poly phenol, saponins and tannins detected via the phytochemical screening may be responsible for the antimicrobial activities of the extracts.