HYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ANALYSIS OF (VERNONIA KOTSCHYANA) CRUDE METHANOL LEAVES EXTRACT
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity
of the crude methanol leaves extract of Vernonia kotschyana. Fresh leaves of the plant were
collected, air-dried, pulverized, and extracted using methanol as solvent. The phytochemical
screening of the extract revealed the presence of bioactive compounds such as alkaloids,
flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, and phenols, which are known to
contribute to various pharmacological effects. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was tested
against selected bacterial and fungal isolates including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans using the agar well diffusion method. Results
showed that the methanol extract exhibited varying degrees of inhibitory activity against all tested
microorganisms, with the highest zone of inhibition observed against S. aureus. The antimicrobial
potency increased with extract concentration, indicating a dose-dependent effect. These findings
suggest that Vernonia kotschyana leaves contain important phytochemicals with significant
antimicrobial potential and could serve as a source of natural therapeutic agents for the treatment
of microbial infections.
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