PRILIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIFUNGAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SECURINEGA VIROSA EXTRACT ON SOME UROPATHOGENS

Abstract

Securinega virosais commonly called “Bush weed” and is one of the great African medicinal plants described as a true “cure all”. This study is aimed at evaluating the phytochemical screening and antifungal susceptibility of Securinega virosa extract on some uropathogen. Evidence of this study shows that Securinega virosa contains some phytochemicals such as alkaloids, saponin, glycosides, tannins, steroids, although, qyinones and flavonoids are absents. Fungal isolates were obtained from the microbiology laboratory, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Susceptibility test was carried out using Agar well diffusion method. The MIC of the potent extract was determined according to the macro broth dilution technique. At the concentration of 200mg/ml, Candida albicans had the zone of inhibition of 9.00±1.00 higher than the zone of inhibition of Aspergilus niger. The zone of inhibition of Aspergilus niger at 250mg/ml (12.92±0.57) was higher than that of Candida albicans (12.33±0.57). The potency of the aqueous leaf extract of Securinega virosa which reduced with decreased in concentration, 500mg/ml has the highest zone of inhibition across the isolates while 100mg/ml showed the lowest zone of inhibition. The study reveals that S. virosa show significant antifungal activities against Candida infection with a minimum inhibitory concentration of about 25%.