Nutritional and Bioactive Properties of Cola Lepidota & Cola Pachycarpa (Ochicha) Seed Extracts on Three Strains of Organisms

Abstract

This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial potentials of Cola lepidota and Cola pachycarpa seeds. Ethanol and distilled water were used as solvents for phytochemical extraction, while the test bacterial strains were obtained from the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos, Plateau State. The plant bioactive compounds were detected using qualitative and quantitative phytochemical evaluation, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analytical methods. Proximate composition was determined, and antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power activity, and ABTS+ assays. The antibacterial activity of the seed extract was evaluated via the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) using the agar-well diffusion method. The result of quantitative analysis showed lower concentrations of phenols (1.26 mg/g and 1.35 mg/g), flavonoids (0.87 mg/g and 0.93 mg/g), tannins (1.08 mg/g and 1.17 mg/g), saponins (1.49 mg/g and 1.57 mg/g), and alkaloids (0.43 mg/g and 0.46 mg/g) in C. lepidota than in C. pachycarpa. Conversely, the mineral composition was higher in C. lepidota, recording 3.92%, 1.02%, 0.17%, 0.02%, and 0.01% for potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, and iron, respectively. The extracts showed no inhibitory activity against the bacterial strains: Escherichia coli ATCC 0157, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, and Bacillus substilis ATCC 6633. As such, failed to justify the ethno-pharmaceutical uses in the treatment of bacterial diseases. However, they demonstrated rich innate antioxidant activity and may be helpful in the prevention or reduction of oxidation or similar associated disorders in humans.