Abstract
Pycreus smithianus tubers have been reported to have insecticidal properties. To gain further insight into its medicinal values, phytochemical and antimicrobial studies were carried out on its shoot and root. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of reducing sugars, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and saponins in varying quantities as well as absence of steroids and alkaloids. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts (shoot and root) were tested against two fungi—Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans—and two bacteria—Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi. Antimicrobial activity evaluation was carried out at 50 and 100 mg/mL concentrations by Agar Well Diffusion method. From the antimicrobial evaluation, the root ethanolic extract at 100% concentration was the most effective against S. aureus and C. albicans while the shoot ethanolic extract was effective against S. typhi. No extract was active against A. niger. Ethanolic extracts were more active than the aqueous extracts and showed higher inhibitory activity against the bacteria than the fungi. This is most likely due to the abundance of reducing sugars in the ethanolic extracts. From these findings, ethanolic extracts of the root of P. smithianus exhibited a good potential source of new drug for treating infections caused by these pathogens and particularly drug resistant C. albicans.
Highlights
It is no longer new that traditional medicine is increasingly becoming more popular than before
Saboraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was used to maintain the fungi while the bacteria strains were maintained on Mueller Hinton (MH) agar both at 4∘C
From the qualitative phytochemical study of root and shoot of P. smithianus, reducing sugars and tannins were present while alkaloids and steroids were absent in both extracts and plant parts
Summary
It is no longer new that traditional medicine is increasingly becoming more popular than before. More than 80% of Nigerians use herbs for common ailments, because of the poor healthcare system in the country, but due to their relative availability and significance in primary health care cost [1] as well as the recent increasing media attention and campaign. Iwu et al [2] remarked that the relative safety of herbal medicines makes them more popular than synthetic drugs while Elujoba et al [3] emphasized their significance in global primary healthcare. One of the most readily available plants, often neglected being a weed, is Pycreus smithianus of the family Cyperaceae. Pycreus smithianus Ridley is a common weed of cultivated areas, moist places, and waste lands in Nigeria and West Africa [4]. Apart from the tubers reported to possess aromatic substances used as insecticides and arachnicides [5], little or nothing is available on its medicinal values
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