Antibacterial and phytochemical screening of methanolic, sequential extracts (hexane, dichloromethane,
ethyl acetate and methanol) and alkaloid rich fractions of
Tabernaemontana Stapfiana
Britten was carried out. The
phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins and saponins that have
been associated with antimicrobial activity. The stem and root bark methanolic extracts showed good activity against
the bacterial strains used including the multiple drug resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
strain with minimum inhibitory
concentrations ranging from 15.6 to 500 mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentrations ranging from 31.25 to 500
mg/ml. The sequential extracts of the root and stem bark had high antimicrobial activity with minimum inhibitory
concentrations (MICs) ranging between 3.9 and 250 mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs)
ranging between 7.8 and 500 mg/ml against the tested microorganisms. The dichloromethane extract of the alkaloid
rich fractions however exhibited reduced antibacterial activities as compared to methanol and sequential extracts but
the dichloromethane:methanol (4:1) mixture showed high activity with MICs ranging between 15.6 and 250 mg/ml.
These antibacterial efficacy studies suggest that
Tabernaemontana stapfiana
Britten could be a source of
antibacterial agents.
