Abstract
Author(s): Theophilus U Onyekaba1, Omojate Godstime Chinedu2 and Anowi Chinedu Fred3
Several reports on the phytochemical screening and antibacterial assays on M. oleiferaleaves extract have been documented but none of the reports showed the fractionation and separation of the phytoconstituents by solvent extraction and thin layer chromatographic procedures, respectively. The ethanol leaves extract of M. oleiferaof the family moringaceaewas investigated for antibacterial activity, preliminary phytochemical analysis, solvent extraction and TLC analysis. These were carried out using standard procedures. The results of the preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, condensed tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, phenolics, alkaloids, phlobatannins, cardiac glycosides and reducing sugars. The TLC separation of the phytoconstituents using chloroform-methanol solvent system resolved the fractionated extract into compounds with Rf values; 0.32, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.69, 0.89, 0.95 and 0.97. The antibacterial assay results portrayed broad activity spectrum against the test microbes with comparable inhibitory zones bystandard antibiotics. The MIC ranged between 10mg/ml and 9Omg/ml for all the organisms. The results from this research have shown the antibacterial potentials of M. oleiferaimplying that the extract could help as a chemotherapeutic agent or might be a lead compound for the development of new potent antibacterial agents.