Evaluation of the Phytochemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanolic, Ethyl Acetate and Petroleum Ether Extracts of the Stem Bark of Heisteria parvifolia.

The search for novel drugs is gaining prominence from plant sources due to the abundance of bioactive constituents in plants. This research established the bioactive constituents and antimicrobial activities of the stem bark extracts (Methanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether) of Heisteria parvifolia. The Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, reducing sugars, saponins and anthraquinones. The methanolic extract tested positive for tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, reducing sugars, anthraquinones and saponins while the petroleum ether extracts tested positive for glycosides, reducing sugars, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides. The three different extracts were tested against the common micro-organisms that affect human. In all, three gram positive organisms, six gram negative organisms were used. The methanolic extract showed a very good zone of inhibition at 14.50 mm against Proteus vulgaris and the ethyl acetate extract showed inhibition against Escherichia coli at a zone of 11.30 mm with the petroleum ether extract showing no activity against all the nine micro-organisms used. These findings confirmed the rational in its traditional usage in the treatment of diarrhea and convulsions which are the causes of microbial infections.