PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACTS OF CARISSA EDULIS VAHL. (APOCYNACEAE) AND SENNA ALATA L. (FABACEAE) USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SKIN INFECTIONS

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACTS OF CARISSA EDULIS VAHL. (APOCYNACEAE) AND SENNA ALATA L. (FABACEAE) USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SKIN INFECTIONS

Abstract:

Carissa edulis and Senna alata are plants found in Nigeria and some other tropical countries. In Nigeria, C. edulis and S. alata are used for the treatment of various ailments and diseases. In traditional medicine C. edulis is used for the treatment of skin infections, abdominal problems, headache and sexually transmitted diseases, while S. alata is also used in the treatment of several infections such as ringworm, parasitic skin diseases, convulsion, gonorrhoea, heart failure, and abdominal pains. Evaluation of the fresh leaf, dried powdered leaves and extracts of C. edulis and S. alata were carried out to determine its macroscopic and some physicochemical parameters. The extracts of the leaves were obtained by successive extraction with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol using Soxhlet apparatus, the phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of the extracts were carried out. Phytochemical screening of leaf extracts of C. edulis and S. alata revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, flavonoids and carbohydrates. The antimicrobial activities of the hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Carissa edulis and Senna alata were tested on six clinical isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. The results showed that the methanol extracts of the plants have the highest activity in (both) the two plants. The hexane extract of C. edulis was active on only two bacteria which are E. coli and S. aureus MIC 50mg/ml. The ethyl acetate extract of C. edulis was active on only two fungi which are C. albicans and T. mentagrophytes MIC 50mg/ml. While the methanol extract of C. edulis was active on E. coli MIC 12.0mg/ml, S. aureus MIC 25mg/ml, and S.pyogenes MIC 50mg/ml and two of the fungi that were tested on which are C. albicans and T. mentagrophytes MIC 25.0mg/ml and 50mg/ml. The hexane extract of S. alata was not active on either of the fungi or bacteria that were tested on, the ethyl acetate extract of S. alata was active on all the three bacteria that were tested on, and two of the fungi which are A. fumigatus and T. viii mentagrophytes MIC 50mg/ml. While the methanol extract of S. alata was active on all the three bacteria (E. coli MIC 12.0mg/ml, S. aureus MIC 6.25mg/ml, and S.pyogenes MIC 100.0mg/ml), and the three fungi (A. fumigatus MIC 100.0mg/ml, C. albicans 25mg/ml and T. mentagrophytes MIC 12.5mg/m). The methanol extract of Senna alata was further fractionated and the fractions obtained were tested on the same organisms and the results showed less activity compared to the crude extract, this indicates the activity to be due to many compounds of different polarity.

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACTS OF CARISSA EDULIS VAHL. (APOCYNACEAE) AND SENNA ALATA L. (FABACEAE) USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SKIN INFECTIONS

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