Abstract
This study compares the phytochemicals and antimicrobial activity of Icacina oliviformis tuber and seed extracts on Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. False yam tubers were washed and peeled and the mesocarp removed to obtain the seeds. Methanol was used to obtain tuber and seed extracts of the false yam, after they were pulverized. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of tannins, saponins, alkaloids and glycosides in both extracts but the proportion of tannins and alkaloids were relatively higher in false yam seed extract than tuber extract. Antimicrobial assay showed that both extracts had antimicrobial activity justifying its use in the treatment of diseases in Northern Ghana. False yam seed extract had a relatively higher antimicrobial activity than tuber extract. The least minimum inhibition concentration recorded was 1.56 mg/ ml for false yam seed on Gram-positive bacteria and Candida albicans. False yam seed extract exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms than the tuber extract, this provides a cheaper source of antimicrobial agent to treat infectious diseases.
 Keywords: False yam tuber, False yam seed, Icacina oliviformis, Phytochemical screening, Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC), Microorganisms
Highlights
Infectious pathogens cause serious threats to humans and the environment
(+) = present, (-) = not detected, (++) = present and in abundance. Phytochemical screening of both extracts indicates the presence of tannins, saponins, glycosides and alkaloids whilst flavonoids were absent in both extracts
Phytochemical screening The absence of flavonoids in both extracts as shown in Table 2 was due to the fact that flavonoids are mostly found in fruits, vegetables and beverages (Pridham, 1960)
Summary
Infectious pathogens cause serious threats to humans and the environment. They are ranked as the leading cause of death worldwide and responsible for almost one-third of mortality in the torrid countries (Rahman et al, 2009). The contributing factors to the increase in infectious disease mortality rate include the recurring of diseases that were controlled before, the emergence of new diseases, and the increase in pathogenic microorganisms that are resistance to antimicrobial agents (Cohen, 2000). The increase in antimicrobial resistant pathogens have generated a lot of public health concerns and one of the proposed solutions to curb this issue is to develop new antimicrobials, a proposed solution by the Center for Disease Control, (CDC), United State of America (Fauci, 1998).
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