Preliminary Study of Phytochemical Content and Antimicrobial activities of Annona senegalensis

Abstract

Annona senegalensis is one of the widely distributed plants used in folklore for the management of various ailments in Nigeria. The present study examined the phytochemical content and antimicrobial activity of the leaf nethanolic extract of this important plant. The phytochemical screening was done using conventioal methods whereas; the antimicrobial activity was determined by agar well diffusion technique. The results indicated that anthraquinone and glycosides were absent while alkaloid, saponin, tannin, flavonoids and terpenoid were present in the Annona senegalensis leaf extract. At the highest concentration (100 mg/ml); Annona senegalensis leaf ethanolic extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (zone of inhibition was 22.00 mm), followed by Escherichia coli (zone of inhibition was 20.33 mm) and lastly Candida albicans (zone of inhibition was 15.33 mm). Furthermore, the activities of the extract were concentration dependent, as higher concentrations gave wider zones of inhibition. These results corroborate the folkloric use of the plant as a remedy for various microbial diseases.