PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF MITRACARPUS HIRTUS

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial properties of ethanol leaf extract of Mitracarpus hirtus. The plant material was collected from Kashim Ibrahim University in Konduga Local Government, Borno State, Nigeria, and authenticated by a taxonomist at the University of Maiduguri. The leaves were air-dried, pulverized, and extracted using the maceration method with ethanol as the solvent. The extraction yielded 7.29 g (0.24%) of dark brownish gummy extract. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, cardenolides, carbohydrates, and tannins, while alkaloids, saponins/glycosides, and free anthraquinones were absent. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method against five test organisms: Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans. The extract demonstrated dose-dependent antimicrobial activity at concentrations of 800 mg/mL, 400 mg/mL, and 200 mg/mL. At 800 mg/mL, zones of inhibition ranged from 13.00 mm to 17.00 mm, with Streptococcus pyogenes showing the highest susceptibility (17.00 mm). The activity was lower than the standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin but significant enough to validate the traditional use of Mitracarpus hirtus in treating microbial infections. This study provides scientific evidence supporting the ethnomedicinal application of M. hirtus and highlights its potential as a source of natural antimicrobial agents.