Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Studies of Extracts from the Leaves of Tithonia Diversifolia for Pharmaceutical Importance

Abstract

Phytochemical screening of extracts from the leaves of Tithonia diversifolia displayed the presence of Alkaloids, Saponin, Saponin glycoside, Tannin, Balsam, Cardiac glycoside and Volatile oil. Spectrophotometric analysis for trace metals, Phosphorus and Sulphur showed that T. diversifolia contained Mn (0.490+0.001 mg/100g), Zn (1.609+0.001 mg/100g), Cu (0.454+0.001 mg/100g), Ni (0.758+0.001 mg/100g), Fe (0.690+0.002 mg/100g), P (55.62+0.200 mg/100g) and S (709+1.000 mg/100g). The medicinal properties of the extract were evaluated in-vitro by antimicrobial and antifungal assays. The aqueous extract (but not methanol and petroleum ether extracts) showed growth inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, but Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were resistant to all the plant extracts and the antibiotic controls. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the aqueous extract of T. diversifolia on S. aureus and E. coli were both 12.50mg. The Minimum Bacterial Concentration (MBC) of the aqueous extract against the test organism ranged from 12.50mg to 25.00mg.