Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of baobab (Adansonia digitata) leaves and stem bark extracts on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

The phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of methanolic and ethanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of baobab tree on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were carried out using agar well diffusion method. The clinical bacterial isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from Microbiology laboratory, Kaduna State University, Kaduna. The bacteria isolates were re-confirmed and identified based on their morphology, cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. The bacteria isolates were confirmed to be Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of Alkaloids, Saponins, Flavonoids, Tannins and Terpenoids. The methanolic leaf extract showed a wide range of activity on test isolates, with varying zones of inhibitions as 12 mm, 10 mm, 7 mm, and 4 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 13 mm, 9 mm, 7 mm, and 3 mm against Escherichia coli at concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, 200 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. The ethanolic leaf extract also showed a wide range of activity on test isolates with varying zones of inhibitions, such as 11mm, 6mm, 5mm and 3mm against S. aureus and 8mm, 7mm, 5mm, and 4mm against E. coli at the concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500mg/ml, 200 mg/ml and 100mg/ml for each respectively. The methanolic stem bark extract showed less antibacterial activity against the test isolates with the inhibition of 5mm and 4mm against S. aureus and 4mm and 3mm against E.coli at concentration of 1000 mg/ml and 500 mg/ml respectively with no zones of inhibition at concentration of 200 mg/ml and 100mg/ml. The ethanolic stem bark extract also showed no antibacterial activity with no zones of inhibition against the test isolates at concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 100 mg/ml. The methanolic leaf extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E.coli at concentration of 100 mg/ml with minimum bactericidal concentration at 100 mg/ml. The ethanolic leaf extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli at concentration of 100 mg/ml with minimum bactericidal concentration of 100 mg/ml. This result showed that the ethanolic and methanolic leaf extract of Adansonia digitata contained bioactive substances that may likely be used against some pathogenic bacteria when medically used.