Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY STUDY OF CUCUMEROPSIS MANNII AND IRVINGIA GABONENSIS ETHANOLIC SEEDS EXTRACTS

Adewusi John Adepoju, Misbaudeen Abdul-Hammed*, Victoria Adeola Falade, Ibrahim Olaide Adedotun, Faizat Olayemi Jolaoso, Sakiru Olatunde, Adebayo and Shakirat Omolade Azeez

Abstract

Over the years, attention has been focused on their nutritional benefit of Irvingia gabonensis (Ogbonno) and Cucumeropsis mannii (Egusi) seeds alone, with little knowledge of their therapeutic properties, hence the study on the antimicrobial potential of phytochemicals from both seeds. Ethanolic extract of both seeds were screened for phytochemical composition, antimicrobial activities of the extract were also observed against bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi strains (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium solani and Candida albican). It was evident from the result that ethanolic extracts from the seeds contain alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, and tannins. Antibacterial screening showed that the two seeds extracts were effective in inhibiting the growth of E. coli, both seeds were also found to possess antifungal activity against Aspergillus spp and Fusarium solani. Consumption of both seeds not only provides nutritional values, but also possess some antibacterial and antifungal benefits and that phytochemicals from them can be sourced as potent nuclei in drug discovery.

Keywords: Antimicrobial screening, phytochemicals screening, Irvingia gabonensis, Cucumeropsis manni, antimicrobial agent, drug discovery.