PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF ANNONA MURICATA L. LEAVES

Abstract

The plant Annona muricata (soursop)is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many disease conditions such as diabetes, dysentery and malaria. Hence, the need for a scientific study to justify some of the curative claims associated with its use by local healers. To achieve this, we carried out cold maceration extraction on the leaves using methanol as extracting solvent. Phytochemical analysis of the crude extract shows that flavonoids, saponins, and tannins were present, while alkaloids and anthraquinones were absent.

The extract was tested for anti-microbial activities on both bacterial and fungal isolates using ciprofloxacin and econazole as positive controls respectively. The isolates used in this study were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Results show that the extract was active on Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but inactive on Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger, an indication that the plant extract possessed only antibacterial, and no antifungal, activities. The zone of growth inhibition ranged from 12 to 20 mm with variable MIC and MBC values. These results support the use of the soursop leaf concoction as herbal medication for the treatment of various bacterial diseases.