<i>Aneilema lanceolatum</i> (Commelinaceae): Phytochemical profile and antibacterial activity against skin pathogens

This study evaluates the antibacterial potential of Aneilema lanceolatum, a plant traditionally used in Nigeria to treat skin infections, to provide scientific support for its efficacy against antibiotic-resistant skin pathogens. The leaves of A. lanceolatum were extracted using methanol and fractionated into ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous fractions. Phytochemical screening, supported by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with specific detecting reagents, confirmed the presence of bioactive constituents including flavonoids, tannins, and steroids/triterpenes. The antibacterial activity of these extracts was tested using the agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests were performed against bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibacterial assays demonstrated a dose-dependentinhibition of bacterial growth, particularly in the ethyl acetate fraction, which showed the lowest MIC (6.25 mg/mL) and MBC (12.5 mg/mL) across all tested strains. The inhibition zones for the ethyl acetate fraction (13 to 22 mm) were close to those of Ciprofloxacin (25 - 40 mm), showing 53.9% similarity based on average values. The study confirms that A. lanceolatum leaf extracts, especially the ethyl acetate fraction, exhibit notable antibacterial effects against common skin pathogens, supporting its traditional medicinal use and potential as a natural antibacterial agent.