Phytochemical Profiling and Antimicrobial Activity of Aerial Extracts of Buchholzia Coriacea with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Evaluation

Abstract

This research investigated the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial efficacy of aerial extracts derived from Buchholzia coriacea (wonderful kola), with a particular focus on the assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The plant materials were collected, subjected, dried, extracted utilizing ethanol, acetone, and water. Preliminary phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of bioactive compounds, inclusive of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, phenols, and glycosides, with the ethanol extract demonstrating the greatest diversity and concentration of these compounds. Quantitative assessments revealed that flavonoids (24.37 mg/100 g) and alkaloids (21.33 mg/100 g) represented the most prevalent constituents, thereby suggesting substantial pharmacological potential. The evaluation of antimicrobial activity was conducted against selected bacterial (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp.) and fungal (Candida spp., Aspergillus spp.) isolates employing disc diffusion and agar well diffusion methodologies. The findings exhibited pronounced inhibitory effects, particularly with respect to ethanol and acetone extracts, which displayed zones of inhibition akin to those of standard antibiotics. Notably, the ethanol extract exhibited the highest level of antimicrobial potency, particularly against E. coli (27.00 mm) and Candida spp. (25.00 mm). The MIC evaluation further substantiated the efficacy of the extracts, with the ethanol extract revealing robust activity (0.10–0.50 mg/mL) against the majority of the test organisms. In contrast, the aqueous extracts exhibited relatively diminished antimicrobial activity. These findings underscore the significant impact of solvent polarity on both extraction efficiency and antimicrobial efficacy.