Phytochemical screening and activity of methanolic extract of Chrysophyllum albidum seed on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from ready- to- eat soya bean cake (Awara) sold at Kaduna State University environment

Abstract

Chrysophyllum albidum, commonly known as African star apple has been known to be effective in the treatment of various ailments ranging from skin irritation to diarrhoea. The therapeutic activity of this plant arose from primary and secondary metabolites i.e. alkaloid, glycosides, tannins and polyphenol that could be from any part of the plant such as stem bark, seed or leaf. The methanolic extract of the seed of Chrysophyllum albidum was screened for the presence of phytochemicals and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The C. albidum seed was extracted using methanol (70%) by maceration technique. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloid, tannins, phenols and saponins. Microbial studies on the Soya bean cake revealed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in 5 out of 50 samples collected (10 %). The zone of inhibition of extract on the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus is in the range of 0 to 22 mm for 31.25 to 125 mg/ml concentrations. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extract on the isolates were 62.5 mg/ml for 2 isolates (S1 and S27), while on isolates S7 and S25, the MIC was 125 mg/ml. The MIC of the extract on isolate S10 was non measurable. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extract against isolates S1and S27 was 125 mg/ml, while on isolates S7 and S25, it was 250 mg/ml. The antibiotic discs used as a control (Amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin) were found to be relatively ineffective on the isolates. Based on the outcomes of this work, it is concluded that the seed of Chrysophyllum albidum is a good source of antimicrobial agent. It is therefore, recommended that health workers should enlighten people on the use of plants as source of antimicrobial agents to minimize resistance by microorganisms to conventional antibiotics. Public health workers should also educate the general public on the importance of good hygiene, especially among those in charge of food production and hawking.