Antimicrobial activity of the leaf of the white species of <i>Sesamum indicum</i> from Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the antimicrobial activity of the leaf of the white specie of Sesamum indicum from the region of Benue State, Nigeria. The leaf of the plant was air dried under shade, segregated and pulverized. 840.56g of the pulverized plant materials were carefully weighed and loaded into a Soxhlet extractor. It was extracted successively using petroleum spirit, ethyl acetate and methanol. The leaf extracts were investigated for in vitro antimicrobial activity against some organisms and their chemical constituents were also ascertained. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the various extracts showed the presence of carbohydrate, saponnins, triterpenes, steroids, tannins, flavonoids, and cardiac glycosides. The antimicrobia activity of these crude extracts showed activity on the organisms Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Salmonella Typhi, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Candida tropicalis at various MIC’s and (MBC/MFC)’s. All the crude extracts were inactive against the organisms Bacillus cereus, Corynebacterium ulcerans, and Escherichia coli.Keywords: Anti-microbial, Benue, pathogenic micro-organisms, Sesamum indicum leaves.