Phytochemical Analysis and Anti-Mycobacterial Activity of Some Selected Medicinal Plants

The research was designed to screen some selected medicinal plants for in-vitro anti-mycobacterial activity. Nine (9) plants (Erythrina senegalensis, Striga hermonthica, Tamarindus indica, Ximenia Americana, Butyrospermum paradoxum, Euphorbia hirta, Pilostigma reticulatum, Waltheria indica, Cissampelos mucronata) were used in the study. Extraction was done on Leaf extract of Waltheria indica, Stem bark extract of Ximenia Americana, Leaf extract of Pilostigma reticulatum, Aerial part extract of Striga hermonthica, Leaf extract of Butyrospermum paradoxum, Root extract of Cissampelos mucronata, Whole plant extract of Euphorbia hirta, Root-bark extract of Tamarindus indica and Stem-bark extract of Erythrina senegalensis. The percentage yield of the extraction was 8.2, 9.5, 7.6, 9.4, 10.5, 10.3, 11.6, 9.2 and 8.5 respectively. Preliminary phytochemical analysis on the crude extracts have revealed the presence of the following bioactive chemical constituents; Alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, Anthraquinones, Saponins, Glycosides, Tannins and Phenols. Preliminary anti-mycobacterial screening was done on the crude plants extracts. The result revealed that only four (4) plants out of the nine (9) selected plants exhibited anti-mycobacterial activity (at conc/well of 500 -125mg/ml) when tested against Mycobaterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Table 3). The crude extract of the aerial parts of S. hermonthica inhibited growth of the tested organisms at 500mg/ml but at lower concentrations (125mg/ml) the extract was not active against M.tuberculosis. The crude extract of stem bark of E. senegalensis was also active at 500mg/ml against the tested organisms but did not demonstrated activity against M. tuberculosis at lower concentrations. The root of extract of C. mucronata was only active at 500mg/ml but was inactive at lower concentrations and the whole plant extract of E. hirta was only active at 500-250mg/ml against both M.smegmatis and M. tuberculosis. No activity was observed for the other five (5) plants extract used in the study that is W. indica, X. americana, P. reticulatum, B. paradoxa and T. indica.