EXTRACTION, PHYTOCHEMICAL, TOXICITY AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS USED AS ANTIHEPATITIS (CARICA PAPAYA, PERSEA AMERICANA AND SOLANUM INCANUM)

Abstract This study investigated the phytochemical composition, extraction yield, antimicrobial activity, and toxicity of Carica papaya, Persea americana, and Solanum incanum leaf extracts in order to evaluate their potential anti-hepatitis and therapeutic properties. The leaves were collected, authenticated, dried, pulverized, and extracted using Soxhlet extraction with 95% ethanol. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids and tannins in all three plants, while alkaloids and saponins were variably distributed, with Solanum incanum exhibiting the broadest phytochemical profile. Extraction yields were highest in Solanum incanum (12%), followed by Persea americana (11%) and Carica papaya (7%). Toxicity assessment using Drosophila melanogaster showed moderate toxicity for all extracts (LD₅₀ = 100 mg/kg), with Persea americana causing the greatest reduction in eclosion and locomotor activity. Antimicrobial activity assessed through agar well diffusion and MIC assays demonstrated that Solanum incanum possessed the strongest broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida spp., while Carica papaya exhibited moderate activity and Persea americana showed selective antifungal and weak antibacterial effects. Findings indicate that the three plants are rich in bioactive constituents with notable antimicrobial and biological activities, supporting their ethnomedicinal relevance. However, the moderate toxicity observed underscores the need for cautious therapeutic use and further purification, toxicity profiling, and compound isolation to enhance safety and efficacy.