PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF STEREOSPERMUM KUNTHIANUM STEM-BARK USED IN WATER TREATMENT/PURIFICATION

The ethanolic stem-bark extract of Stereospermum kunthianum plant bark was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and antimicrobial testing. The extract revealed flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, and saponins. The antimicrobial activity of the plant extract was assayed using agar plate disc diffusion and nutrient broth dilution techniques. The MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. The test microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella spp. All organisms were laboratory isolates. The extract inhibited the growth of all the test organisms at different concentrations, especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which had a mean inhibition zone of 26 mm when 1 ml of crude extract was used, whereas S. aureus and K. aureus had a mean inhibition zone of 21 mm each when 1 ml of crude extract was used. The MIC was 0.125 mg/ml for streptococcus spp. and pseudomonas and 0.0625 mg/ml for klebsiella spp. The MBC against staphylococcus spp. was 0.125 mg/ml, and that against and that of klebsiella spp. was 0.625 mg/ml. The extracts exhibited varying inhibitory activities against the studied organisms. The spectra of activities displayed by the extract can be attributed to the presence of these phytochemicals, indicating the potential of S. kunthianum stem-bark as a source of therapeutic agents