PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF EXTRACT AGAINST OCULAR PATHOGENS

Ocular bacterial infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus remain a significant clinical concern, particularly with increasing antimicrobial resistance. Plant-derived bioactive compounds have attracted attention as alternative therapeutic agents. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity of ethanol leaf extract of Moringa oleifera against selected ocular pathogens. Fresh leaves of M. oleifera were air-dried, pulverized, and extracted using 70% ethanol. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted using standard procedures. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against S. pyogenes and S. aureus using the agar well diffusion method at concentrations of 1.5, 2, and 3 mg/mL. Ciprofloxacin served as the positive control. Zones of inhibition were measured after 24 h incubation at 37 °C. Total viable bacterial counts and recovery duration were also determined. Data were expressed as mean ± SD (n = 3) and analyzed using ANOVA and paired t-test at P < 0.05. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids (1258.07 ± 13.30 µg/g), phenols (570.47 ± 10.03 µg/g), saponins (456.53 ± 5.62 µg/g), alkaloids (8.20 ± 0.35 µg/g), and tannins (20.07 ± 0.44 µg/g), with flavonoids being the most abundant. The extract demonstrated concentration-dependent antibacterial activity. At 3 mg/mL, the highest inhibition was observed against S. pyogenes (34.67 ± 0.57 mm), which was comparable to ciprofloxacin (24.67 ± 3.51 mm). Against S. aureus, ciprofloxacin showed greater inhibition (43.33 ± 3.52 mm) compared to the extract (17.67 ± 2.52 mm). Both treatments significantly reduced total viable bacterial counts (P < 0.05). Recovery duration was shorter in the ciprofloxacin-treated group (3.67 ± 0.58 days) compared to the extract-treated group (5.67 ± 0.58 days). Ethanol leaf extract of M. oleifera exhibited significant antibacterial activity against ocular pathogens, likely attributable to its rich flavonoid and phenolic content. Although ciprofloxacin demonstrated superior efficacy against S. aureus, the extract showed strong inhibitory activity against S. pyogenes, suggesting its potential as an alternative or adjunct antimicrobial agent.