Phytochemical and Anti-microbial Screening of Phyllantus fratenus and Taraxacuim officinale Leaves

Abstract

Dry and powdered leaves of Phyllantus fratenus and, Taraxacum officinale were subjected to different solvent extraction using chloroform, methanol and hexane. The extracts were examined for the phytochemical components present in them. It was observed that in Phyllantus fratenus; fats and oil, tannins, saponins, coumarins were present the chloroform extract, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins and coumarins were present in the methanol extracts and in the hexane extract, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids and coumarins were present. In Taraxacum officinale; alkaloids, fats and oil, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids were present in chloroform extracts, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids were present in the methanol extract and in hexane extract, it was only alkaloids and terpenoids that were present. The microbial activity of the various solvent extracts of the different plants showed that the chloroform extracts of both plants were active against S. aureus, and V. cholerae, but it was only T. officinale extract that was active against E. coli. In the hexane extracts of both plants, the growth of S. aureus was inhibited in both plants extract, V. cholerae growth was only inhibited in P. fratenus extract and E. coli was only inhibited in T. officinale extract. In the methanol extracts of both plants, S. aureus was inhibited in T. officinale extract, V. cholerae was inhibited in both plant extracts and E. coli was only inhibited in T. officinale extract. The observations on the antimicrobial activities of the various plant extracts indicated the reasons of their applications in herbal drug dispensation.