Pytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity Effects of Extract of <i>Guiera senegalensis</i> Leaves

Abstract

The leaves of Guiera senegalensis extracts were extracted using solvents of increasing polarity in order to investigate preliminary phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effect of the crude extracts. The results of the phytochemical screening indicated the presence of cardiac glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids. While the antimicrobial activity of the extracts against ten pathogenic organisms revealed moderate to good inhibition of six of the ten bacterial and fungal species. Generally, the ethyl acetate extract appeared to have the highest zone of inhibition (24 mm) and best minimum inhibitory concentration (2.5mg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus. The cytotoxicity effects revealed that the chloroform extracts exhibited the highest lethality on brine shrimp larvae at LC₅₀ value of 58.908µg/ml.