Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activities of Guiera senegalensis J .F. Gmel root extracts

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Guiera senegalensis root extracts on certain pathogenic microbes and it includes extensive chemical study to identify the chemical composition of the roots by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Phytochernical screening has been applied to the methanol and aqueous extracts of Gsenegalensis root which indicated the presence of sterols, triterpenes, alkaloids, coumarins flavonoid and saponins. The antimicrobial activity of G.senegaIensis root extracts against three strains of bacteria and one strain of fungi revealed that all extracts are active against bacteria but the methanolic extract was the most active against Staphylococcus aureus with an inhibition zone 35mm. The active methanolic (mac) extract was further investigated by analytical and preparative TLC chromatographic fi-actionation, afforded six compounds which were analyzed by spectroscopic methods (Infra-red and Ultra-violet). ' The results revealed importance need of Gsenegalensis root as antimicrobial active compounds. Intensive analytical investigations were needed to carry out on the most active methanol extract in order to isolate and identify the effective components using modem chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The fine powder of the Gsenegalensis root was extracted with several solvents and the antimicrobial effect on three bacteria were determined. All extracts of each solvents has significant antimicrobial bacterial effect. When thin Layer Chromatography was applied, using different solvent system, sprayed with vanillin sulphuric acid, the extract exhibited visible spots with various colours.