Rationalizing some medicinal plants used in treatment of skin diseases.

Abstract

The hydroethanolic extracts obtained from ten plant species being used as components of skin disease remedy in Southwest Nigeria were subjected to phytochemical analysis and screened for antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity was determined against Escherichia coli NCIB 86, Staphylococcus aureusNCIB 8588, Klebsiella pneumoniae NCIB 418, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIB 950,Proteus vulgaris NCIB 67, Bacillus subtilis NCIB 3610, Candida albicans andAspergillus flavus by agar diffusion method. Terpenes, flavonoids, tannins and saponin were detected in the active plants through phytochemical screening and confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The plant extracts demonstrated antimicrobial effect against bacteria and the fungal cultures used in this study at different levels. The plant species Funtumia elastica, Raphyostylis beninensis, Butyrospermum paradoxum, Serataria caudula, Parkia biglobosa and Curculigo pilosa showed significant antimicrobial activities against the test organisms. Curculigo pilosa, F. elastic and P. biglobosa gave the highest zone of inhibition of 30 mm at 80 mg/ml against Aspergillus flavus, Bacilus subtilis and Proteus vulgariswhile Curculigo pilosa also gave the least zone of inhibition of 2 mm at 80 mg/ml against Klebsiella pneumoniae. This relative high active index explains the antimicrobial effects of the remedy for skin diseases.   Key words: Phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial activity, TLC, skin disease,Funtumia elastica.