PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF COMBARATACAE (GUIERA SENEGALENSIS) ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT

Abstract

Guiera senegalensis is a well-known traditional medicinal plant in Africa, whose leaf extracts are used for the treatment of diseases and wounds. This study aimed to assess the phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of the ethanolic leaf extract of Guiera Senegalensis. The plant material was macerated with ethanol to obtain crude ethanol leaf extract. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, anthraquinone, alkaloids, phenolic, and flavonoid compounds. Thin-layer chromatography of the crude extract was carried out to ascertain the various fractions contained in the extract. In addition, column chromatography was carried out on the extract using ethanol as the mobile phase and silica gel as the stationary phase. Fractions from the extracts were collected, and the most active compound was used in the antibacterial studies. The FT-IR studies of the active compound revealed the presence of OH, CH, C=C, and C-O-C functional groups with the corresponding peaks of 3324, 2922, 1610, and 1073 cm^-1, respectively The antibacterial assay of the active compound was conducted which inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E.coli by measuring the zone of inhibition of difference concentration ranging from 250 mg/mL, 125 mg/mL, 62.5 mg/mL and 31.25mg/ml respectively, Ciprofloxacin was used as positive control in both S. aureus and E.coli, antibacterial activities in S.aureus showed zone of inhibition of 14 mm, 12 mm, 9 mm  7 mm, respectively and 32 mm at control. Also, E. coli showed 15 mm, 12 mm, 10 mm, 9 mm, respectively, and 29 mm at the control.