Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies of the root bark extracts of Strychnos spinosa Lam

Abstract

The phytochemical screening and antimicrobial properties of petroleum ethylacetate and methanol root bark extracts of Strychnos spinosa. The extracts were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhii, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candidas albicans by Agar well diffusion and micro-dilution methods. The phytochem screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, anthraquinones, glycosides, steroids and terpenoids. The methanol extracts was found to be the most potent against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia with MIC values of 1.56mg/ml. TheMBC revealed that the extracts were more of bacteriostatic than bactericidal. Keywords; Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Strychnos spinosa, Root bark.