Phytochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of Buchholzia coriacea and Psychotria microphylla leaf extracts on bacterial pathogens isolated from aquatic environments in Nigeria

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants as alternative therapy for the treatment of microbial infections is significant in the maintenance of good health, especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Buchholzia coriacea and Psychotria microphylla leaf extracts on bacteria isolated from aquatic environments in Nigeria. Exactly 736 water samples from boreholes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wells respectively were collected for this study. Antimicrobial activity of B. coriacea and P. microphylla leaf extracts were determined using standard microbiological techniques. Phytochemical and chemical constituents of the herbal extracts were determined using standard analytical techniques. Bacteria isolated from the water samples were Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 103), Escherichia coli (n = 118), and Vibrio cholerae (n = 87). extracts of B. coriacea and P. microphylla showed appreciable antibacterial activities. B. coriacea and P. microphylla leaf extracts showed the presence of minerals, alkaloids, protein, terpenoids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, tannins, and vitamins. Plant extracts used in this study exhibited an amazing antibacterial activity against bacterial isolates from the water bodies. Thus, B. coriacea and P. microphylla plants should be further explored to determine the active component(s) responsible for their antibacterial activity. Key words: Antimicrobial activity, B. coriacea, P. microphylla, leaf extracts, bacteria, aquatic environments, phytochemical composition.