Antibacterial and Phytochemical Potentials of Ficus capensis Leaf Extracts Against Some Pathogenic Bacteria doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v6i3.14

Abstract

Natural products represent an alternative source of potent antimicrobial to combat the increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to synthetic drugs. Plants in particular contain metabolites which have been widely employed in traditional settings to treat ailment. However, there is a need for scientific knowledge on their bioactivity. This study is aimed at elucidating the phytochemicals, and antibacterial activity of Fiscus capensis. The leaves of F. capensis were pulverized and extracted successively using n-hexane, acetone, methanol and distilled water. The plant extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella Typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella sp.) using the agar-well diffusion technique. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the plant extracts were established using the microbroth dilution technique. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids in all extracts. Saponins, phenols, terpenoids and tannins were present in all extracts except n-hexane extract. The antimicrobial studies showed varying levels of activity, with acetone extract having the highest activity against S. aureus and S. Typhi with MIC of 6.25 mg/mL. Methanol had an MIC activity of 12.5 mg/mL against E.coli. While some prior studies reported no activity of methanol extract against S. Typhi, our finding showed that methanol extract of F. capensis exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. Typhi due to the extraction process. Our study concludes that the overall antimicrobial activity of the crude extract of F. capensis leaf provided evidence that future antimicrobial agents could be isolated from this plant leaf.