PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CRUDE DIETHYL ETHER LEAF EXTRACT OF CARICA PAPAYA LINN. (CARICACEAE)

ABSTRACT African traditional medicine refers to the indigenous system of healthcare practiced by various African communities foe centuries. Its involve the use of natural remedies, including herbs, minerals, and animal products, as well as spiritual and ritualistic practices, to prevent, diagnose and treat physical, mental illness. Carica papaya, commonly known as pawpaw or papaya English, gwanda in Hausa, ibepe in Yoruba, Okwuru-bekee in Igbo, is a tropical fruit tree native to the Americas, recognized for its deliciously sweet fruit and significant nutritional content. Beyond its culinary uses, various parts of the pawpaw plant have been utilized in traditional medicine across cultures for conditions ranging from digestive issues to inflammatory diseases. The preliminary phytochemical screening of crude diethyl ether leave extract of the plant revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, cardenolids, and carbohydrates, while flavonoids, tannins, saponin glycosides, and anthraquinones were absent. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was evaluated against selected microbial strains. The CDEE exhibited activity only against Staphylococcus aureus, producing a zone of inhibition of 18.00 ± 0.00 mm at 25.0 mg/h, For A. fumigatus, zones of inhibition measured 17.00 ± 0.00 mm and 29.00 ± 0.00 mm at 12.5 mg/h and 25.0 mg/h, respectively, compared to no inhibition (0.00 ± 0.00 mm) at 100 mg/h for the standard antibiotic, gentamicin. However, gentamicin demonstrated broad-spectrum activity, showing zones of inhibition ranging from 26.00 ± 0.00 mm to 45.00 ± 0.00 mm against S. aureus, S. pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans at 25 mg/h. These findings suggest that Carica papaya extracts have potential antimicrobial properties against S. aureus, but their efficacy is limited compared to standard antibiotics. This work highlights the need for further research to optimize and explore the therapeutic potential of C. papaya.