Muhammad Awwal Tijjani*1, Aishatu Muhammad2, Lawan Bukar Inuwa1, Hamidu Usman1, Musa Yahya Maikafi6, Chinwe Euphemia Egwu3, Umar Aliyu Hanwa5 and Sani Sa’idu Bello4
1Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
2Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Kaduna State University, Kaduna State, Nigeria
3Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, Nigeria Institute of Leather and Science Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
4Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Bayero University Kano, Kano State, Nigeria
5Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
6Department of Basic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, Nassarawa State, Nigeria
*Corresponding author’s Email: muhawwat@unimaid.edu.ng, doi.org/10.55639/607.252423
ABSTRACT
Pathogenic resistance has seen no major breakthroughs since the quinolones of the 1960s, despite over fifty new antimicrobial drugs reported by WHO in 2019. Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) alone caused over 100,000 deaths in 2019. Developing countries still suffer high mortality rates due to bacterial infections increasingly resistant to existing drugs. This study investigates the phytochemical content and antibacterial efficacy of extracts from Cadaba farinosa Forssk as a potential source of non-resistant drugs. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and tannins. The antibacterial activity of the crude ethanol leaf extract (CEE) and n-butanol partitioned portion (NBU) was tested against three Gram-positive and five Gram-negative bacteria using standard antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin and Streptomycin) for comparison. Both extracts showed dose-dependent inhibition of all tested bacteria, outperforming standard drugs. Notable results included Corynebacterium diphtheria susceptibility of 14±0.9mm and 20±0.0mm for CEE and NBU at 20mg/hole and 40mg/hole, respectively, compared to 11.4±0.01mm Ciprofloxacin and 11.6±0.01mm Streptomycin at 5μg. Similar patterns were observed for Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella dysenteriae. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were 5 mg/ml for both extracts. The antibacterial activity is attributed to the phenolic content, affecting microbial cells through enzyme inhibition and protein inactivation. This study supports traditional medicinal uses of the plant and its potential for developing novel antibacterial agents against drug-resistant pathogens.
Keywords:
Antibacterial,
Cadaba farinosa,
leaf extract,
n-butanol fraction,
Microorganisms