Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activity of Whole Plant Crude Extracts of Euphorbia hirta Linn against Some Clinical Isolates

Abstract

The problem of bacteria resistance coupled with microorganisms being implicated as causative agents of many infectious diseases has led to the search for substances (phytochemicals) that can be used to stop the activity of these microorganisms and to reduce or eliminate their effect on the human population and to also curb the menace of bacteria resistance. This study aimed at carrying out phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of whole plant crude extracts of Euphorbia hirta Linn against some clinical isolates. The selected clinical isolates (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhimurium) were identified using biochemical tests. The extraction of the whole plant of Euphorbia hirta with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water was done using reflux extraction technique. The screening for phytochemicals was carried out using standard methods while the determination of antibacterial activity of the extracts against selected clinical isolates was carried out using the agar well diffusion method. The results obtained show that phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, saponins, phenols, and reducing sugars were present while cardiac glycosides were absent in all the extracts. The highest (21.33±0.33) antibacterial activity which is concentration-depended was recorded against Pseudomonas fluorescens using ethyl acetate extract while n-hexane extract has no antibacterial activity against any of the clinical isolates which possibly may be due to insufficient bioactive agents in the n-hexane extract. The study revealed that Euphorbia hirta contained phytochemicals that have antibacterial activity and can be very useful in drug development, and traditional and complementary medicine.