PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SEED EXTRACTS OF AVOCADO (PERSEA AMERICANA)

Persea americana, commonly known as avocado, is renowned for its nutritional and medicinal properties. The seeds, often discarded as waste, contain numerous bioactive compounds that may have significant health benefits. This study investigates the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of seed extracts of Persea americana using different solvents. The primary objectives of this research are to identify and quantify the phytochemical constituents in the seed extracts of Persea americana and to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of these extracts against selected microorganisms. Avocado seeds were processed and extracted using three solvents: methanol, ethanol, and water. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts was conducted to determine the presence and concentration of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and cyanogenic glycosides. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was tested against four microorganisms: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, using the disc diffusion method. Zones of inhibition were measured to assess the efficacy of the extracts. The phytochemical analysis revealed that the methanol extract contained the highest concentrations of flavonoids (85.33 mg QE/mg dry wt) and cyanogenic glycosides (219.02 mg/100 g), while the ethanol extract had the highest concentration of alkaloids (17.33%). Saponins and tannins were present in both methanol and aqueous extracts but were absent in the ethanol extract. Despite the presence of these bioactive compounds, none of the extracts demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms, as indicated by the absence of zones of inhibition in all assays. This study confirms that avocado seeds are rich in various phytochemicals, with methanol being the most effective solvent for extraction. However, the extracts did not exhibit antimicrobial properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. These findings suggest that while avocado seeds have a high phytochemical content, further research is needed to optimize extraction methods and explore potential therapeutic applications. Re-extraction with strict adherence to standardized protocols and investigation into synergistic effects with other compounds are recommended for future studies.