Phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of crude extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) of <i>Terminalia mollis</i> linn (combretaceae) root

Abstract

The bark and wood parts of the root of Terminalia mollis was investigated for its phytochemical and antimicrobial properties. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of tannins and resins as the major secondary metabolites. Test for antimicrobial activity of the plant crude extracts using the agar diffusion method showed that both the water and ethanolic extracts of the bark and wood parts of the root exhibited profound inhibitory activities against Staph. aureus,
Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa and C. albicans and no activity against A. niger. MIC values varied from 0.3125%w/w for S. aureus and B. subtilis to 1.25%w/w for C. albicans. MBC/MFC values of the extracts against the test organisms were generally two geometric dilutions higher than their corresponding MIC values. Rate of kill studies indicated that the extracts had microbicidal activities against the susceptible organisms, effecting at least 3 log decimal
reduction within one hour of contact with the extracts. Generally, the root bark extracts exhibited slightly greater inhibitory activities against the test organisms compared with the wood parts of the root.