Phytochemical characterization and antimicrobial properties of Azadirachtin indica against selected bacterial human pathogens

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the phytochemical and antibacterial potentials of Azadirechtin indica against Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using microbiological techniques. Ethanol and water were used to extract the active components from the Azadirechtin indica leaves. Salmonella typhi showed range of inhibition zone from 11mm to 16mm at 50% to 90% concentrations of the plant ethanolic extract. Staphylococcus aureus had a range of inhibition zone from 10mm to 13mm at 50% to 90 % concentrations of the plant ethanolic extract and Pseudomonas aeruginosa had a range of inhibition zone from 10mm to 12mm at 50% to 90% concentrations of the plant ethanolic extract. Ethanol extract showed greater antibacterial activity against the test organisms when compared with the aqueous extract. Preliminary screening of phytochemicals in the leaf extract of Azadirechtin indica revealed the presence of alkaloids (7.376mg/100g), saponins (12.041mg/100g), flavonoids (2.641mg/100g), tannins (3.431mg/100g) and cyannogenic glycosides (0.952 mg/100g). This result provides scientific support for Azadirechtin indica to be further investigated and used as drug.