Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of methanol Extract of the Leaves of Mucuna utilis (Velvet Beans)

摘要

This present study investigates the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract of the leaves of Mucuna utilis using standard methods. The results showed that alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and triterpenes were present. Well diffusion assay technique was used to assay in vitro antimicrobial activity of the extract against gram-negative bacteria represented by Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella spp; gram-positive bacteria represented by Staphylococus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and fungi represented by the yeast, Candida albicans. The extract, at the dose of 50mg/ml, inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albican. Stronger inhibition and broader spectrum of activity were observed at the dose of 100mg/ml against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The inhibitory activity of the extract at the dose of 100 mg/ml were very comparable to that of the standard drug, gentamycin (30μg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi were resistant to the plant extract at the highest dose (100mg/ml) used for this experiment. The findings of this work showed that Mucuna utilis contain important phytocompounds and has broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.