Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of the Hexane and Ethanol Leaf Extract of Pterocarpus Erinaceous poir (Fabaceae)

This study evaluated the phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of the hexane and ethanol leaf extract of Pterocarpus erinaceous poir (Fabaceae). Ethno medicinally, the leaves are used in treatment of conjunctivitis, diarrhea, malnutrition, inflammation and scabies. The phytochemical screening using standard methods revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenes and steroids. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the extracts were tested against some gram positives and gram negatives clinical isolates and the activity was determined using well diffusion method with zones of inhibition ranges from 20-30 mm for hexane and 18-25 mm for ethanol. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined at 0.5 Mc-farland’s turbidity standard. The extracts at 2.5-50 mg/ml (Hexane extract) and 5.0-10 mg/ml (Ethanol extract) inhibited the growth of the clinical isolates. Minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentration of the extracts range from 5-20 mg/ml (Hexane extract) and 5-10 mg/ml (Ethanol extract) Zones of inhibition of the extracts were comparable with that of standard drugs, Ciprofloxacin (30-42 mm) against bacteria and fluconazole (35-37 mm) against fungal isolates. In conclusion, the extracts have great potential antimicrobial activity and support the claimed traditional uses of the leaves in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections.