Preliminary antimicrobial and phytochemical analysis of clinacanthus nutans and azadirachta indica

Abstract

Clinacanthus nutans which belongs to the family of Acanthaceae and Azadirachta indica which belongs to the family of Meliaceae are often used as herbal remedies in complementary and alternative medicine. Extracts from dried leaves of Clinacanthus nutans and Azadirachta indica was screened for its antimicrobial activity and phytochemical composition. The antimicrobial activity of plant extract was first assessed by using different solvent. Chloroform, absolute ethanol, 70% ethanol and distilled water plant extracts were tested against Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B. It was shown that chloroform Clinacanthus nutans extract and ethanolic Azadirachta indica extract showed a larger inhibition zone upon Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B compare to other solvents. The best result producing solvent extracts were then tested upon five strains of Salmonella simultaneously. The strains that were subjected to test was respectively Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi C, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi ATCC and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B. In this test, it is shown that both plant extracts able to form zone of inhibition against the Salmonella strains. The enteric fever causing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi ATCC showed the least inhibition with both extracts compared to the Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi C strains. There was no significant difference in zone of inhibition against gastroenteritis causing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden. The qualitative phytochemical analysis was carried out using powdered leaf samples of Clinacanthus nutans and Azadirachta indica to determine the major phytoconstituents. The analysed phytochemicals are alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides. The analysis showed the presences of all five phytoconsituents in Azadirachta indica leaf sample. Meanwhile for Clinacanthus nutan, a positive result was shown for the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides but a negative result for the presence of saponin.