ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF GONGRONEMA LATIFOLIUM ON SELECTED ISOLATES

This study investigated the antimicrobial activities of *Gongronema latifolium* extracts against selected microbial isolates. The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has necessitated the search for alternative sources of antimicrobial agents, particularly from medicinal plants. *Gongronema latifolium*, a tropical plant widely used in traditional medicine, was selected for this study due to its reported therapeutic properties. Fresh leaves of *Gongronema latifolium* were collected, identified, dried, and pulverized. The powdered leaves were extracted using appropriate solvents, and the extracts were tested against selected microbial isolates, including *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Escherichia coli*, *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, *Klebsiella pneumoniae*, and *Candida albicans*. The agar well diffusion method was employed to determine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts, while zones of inhibition were measured in millimeters. Different concentrations of the extracts were evaluated to determine their effectiveness against the test organisms. The results revealed that *Gongronema latifolium* possessed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity against the selected isolates. The extract demonstrated higher inhibitory effects at increased concentrations, with *Staphylococcus aureus* showing the greatest susceptibility, while *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* exhibited comparatively lower susceptibility. The antifungal activity against *Candida albicans* was also significant. The observed antimicrobial effects were attributed to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds in the plant extract. The study concluded that *Gongronema latifolium* possesses considerable antimicrobial properties and could serve as a potential source of natural antimicrobial agents for the treatment and management of microbial infections. It was recommended that further studies be conducted to isolate and characterize the active compounds responsible for the antimicrobial activity and to evaluate their safety and efficacy for pharmaceutical applications.