PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CALOTROPIS PROCERA METHANOL ROOT EXTRACT
Abstract
This study investigated the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the methanol root extract of Calotropis procera, a medicinal plant widely used in traditional healthcare. The root samples were collected, authenticated, dried, pulverized, and extracted using methanol by maceration. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the crude extract revealed the presence of carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, cardenolides, saponins, terpenoids, and reducing sugars, while alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and anthraquinones were absent. Antimicrobial activity of the extract was evaluated against selected clinical isolates including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger using the disc diffusion method. The extract demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on all test organisms except Aspergillus niger, which showed no susceptibility. The highest activity was observed at 400 mg/mL, suggesting the presence of bioactive compounds with broad-spectrum antimicrobial potential. These findings provide scientific support for the traditional use of Calotropis procera roots and highlight their potential for developing new plant-based antimicrobial agents.
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