PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS AND METHANOL EXTRACTS OF EUPHORBIA HIRTA (EUPHORBIACEAE)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Phytochemical screening of the aqueous and methanol extracts of Euphorbia hirta revealed the
presence of carbohydrates, reducing sugars, cardiac glycocosides, saponins and tannins.
Cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids were absent. The antimicrobial effects of the aqueous and
methanol extracts of the plant at different doses (50 mg and 100 mg) were tested on some bacterial
isolates to determine their sensitivity. Ciprofloxacin (0.025mg) and amoxicillin (0.025 mg) were
used as negative control. The aqueous and methanol extracts recorded antimicrobial activity
against staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. However, no antimicrobial effect was
observed on Escherichia coli while the activity exhibited on Bacillus subtilis was dose-dependent
(100 mg). the extract compared favourably with the reference drugs. The result suggests that the
plant Euphorbia hirta could be an emerging novel antimicrobial agent.
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