PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF FRUIT EXTRACTS OF Xylopia aethiopica ON SOME CLINICAL ORGANISMS

Kanu, A. M., Ukwen, C. O., Ugoji, R. T.

Abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical and antibacterial properties of fruit extracts of Xylopia aethiopica on selected clinical isolates. The clinical isolates obtained from a high grade medical laboratory center which includes Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococus aureus were confirmed using biochemical tests and then standardized with 0.5 McFarland. Standard techniques were used in crude extraction followed by phytochemical screening. The antibacterial activities of the different extracts were investigated using agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Findings revealed that Xylopia aethiopica fruit extracts was found to contain flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. Antibacterial activities showed that ethanol and aqueous fruit extracts possessed inhibitory effects on Staphylococus aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa that ranged between 9mm to 18mm, 7mm to 15.5mm and 6mm to 12 mm respectively and 9mm to 15mm, 7mm to 12mm and 6mm to 8.5mm respectively. Among all strains tested, S. aureus and E. coli showed the best sensitivity with a MIC of 50 mg/mL. The findings indicate that Xylopia aethiopica have potential to mitigate bacterial infections and reduce reliance on synthetic antibiotics.