PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF TWO MIMOSA SPECIES

ABSTRACT

This work was carried out to investigate the phytochemical and antimicrobial activities of Mimosa pudica and M. invisa. The microbial isolates were obtained as pure culture from University of Benin Teaching Hospital and included three bacterial strain, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and a fungus, Candida albican. Antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts was assayed using agar well diffusion method. The result of the phytochemistry revealed the presence of alkaloids, sapomns, phenols, carbohydrate and flavonoids. At 40mg/ml, inhibition zones ranged from 12.33±0.33 mm against Staphylococcus aureus to 17.00±0.00 mm against Klebsiella pneumonia. At 20 mg/ml, inhibition zones ranged from 12.00±0.00 mm against Staphylococcus aureus to 16.67±0.67 mm against Escherichia coli. Mean zone diameter of inhibition ranged from 12.0000 mm-16.3333 mm at 40 mg/ml while at 20 mg/ml, it ranged from 11.6667±0.33-14.6667 mm. There were significant differences in /one of inhibition between the organisms tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 18 mg/ml against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae to 20 mg/ml against E. coli and C. albicans. These plants have shown to be highly antimicrobial and could therefore serve as alternative to conventional drugs.