SOURCE:

Faculty: Health Sciences And Technology
Department: Medical Laboratory Science

CONTRIBUTORS:

Olise, N.A;
Enweani, I.B;

ABSTRACT:

Plants contain nutrients and a variety of bioactive compounds known to have chemotherapeutic and diagnostic values. Some of these plants also have dyes. Against this background, this study aimed at determining the antimicrobial, antioxidant properties of six indigenous plants’ parts namely, Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae) mesocarp; Vitex doniana (Verbanaceae) stem, leaf and fruit; Lantana aculaeta Linn leaf; Lawsonia inermis (Henna) leaf; Cnestis ferruginea (Connaraceae) fruit and Pterocarpus soyauxii stem, and their potential use as stains. Plant materials were collected and processed using Soxhlet extraction technique. Phytochemical analyses were determined using standard laboratory method. High performance liquid chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was carried out to detect the bioactive compounds and their structural elucidations. Phenolic content estimation of plant extracts was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) reagent. Antioxidant activity of plant extracts was estimated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). P. soyauxii stem extract was used as counter stain in Haematoxylin and Eosin method on human appendix tissue compared with the conventional Eosin Y Stain. Phytochemical analysis of all sampled plants showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycoside. Others were saponins, terpenes and steroids. In the proximate analysis, the six plant extracts consists of protein, carbohydrate, lipid, crude fibre, moisture and total ash with the highest concentration of protein (16.8%), carbohydrate (74.9%), lipid (15.4%), total ash (17.5%), moisture content (12.5%) and crude fibre (79.2% ) found in V. doniana fruit, L. aculeata leaves, G. kola mesocarp, L. aculeata, G. kola mesocarp respectively. The HPLC of ethylacetate solvent fraction of V. doniana fruit revealed Tectorigenin, Peonidin 3–(6’– parahydroxyl benzyl) glucoside, Tectorigenin–3–p–hydroxylbenzyl)–5–frulate, Peonidin – 3 – (6–p–methobenzoyl) glucoside and Tectorigenin–3–6”–p–methyoxybenzol glucoside, while Luteolin–5–glucopyranoside, Apigenin–5–0–glucopyranoside, Kaemferol–3-0–gucopyranoside, Luteoline and Apigenin were identified from the ethylacetate solvent fraction of lawsonia inermis leaf. The n-hexane solvent fraction of Pterocarpus soyauxii yielded Malvidin 3-p-hydroxylbenzolsophoroside, Malvidin 3-acetylatedsophoroside, Malvidin and Tectoridine. With respect to susceptibility profile of isolates, G. kola mesocarp extract was observed to have the best activity against all Gram positive bacteria while extract of Lawsonia inermis had the best performance against Gram negative ones. Of all plant extracts studied, only C. ferruginea fruit extract had antifungal activity. Comparatively, extract of G. kola mesocarp, L. inermis leaf, P soyauxii stem, G. kola mesocarp, L. inermis leaf, L. inermis leaf, G. kola mesocarp, L. aculeata, and L. aculeata had significantly higher zone diameter on Morganella morgani isolate (P=0.0003), P. aeruginosa (P=0.008), K. pneumoniae (P=0.002), B. substilis ( P<0.001), S, pneumonia (P=0.0002), S. aureus (P= 0.0002), E. coli (P=0.0001), P. mirabilis (P = 0.0001) respectively. MICs of all extracts against bacterial isolates ranged from 1.56 – 200mm. V. doniana ethanolic leaf extract had the best antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 94.48. The pH of the extracts ranged from 4.2– 6.4. C. ferruginea ethanolic fruit extract and P. soyauxii methanolic stem extract stained fungal isolates, but did not stain bacteria isolates. P. soyauxii extract solution stained lymphoid follicle of human appendix tissue with little differentiation. Data obtained were analysed using Student T tests, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation. Studied plants parts have good antimicrobial, antioxidant and staining properties. Plants extracts used in this study hold promise as chemotherapeutic and staining agents.