DETERMINATION OF PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, PROXIMATE ANALYSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF EXTRACT OF BRYOPHYLLUM PINNATUM LEAVES ON SOME SELECTED MICROORGANISM

Bryophyllum pinnatum Lam. belongs to the family Crassulaceae and is commonly known as Canterbury-bells, love plant, miracle leaf and life plant. It is found in the tropical Africa, India, China, America and Australia. It is a succulent perennial plant that grows 1-1.5 m in height and the stem is hollow, four-angled and usually branched. Leaves are opposite, decussate, succulent, 10-20 cm long. This study evaluates the phytochemical composition, proximate content, and antimicrobial activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Abamoda or Miracle Leaf), providing insights into its potential nutritional and therapeutic applications. Phytochemical screening across ethanolic, n-hexane, and aqueous extracts indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids in ethanolic and aqueous extracts, while n-hexane extracts lacked triterpenoids, tannins, and flavonoids. Proximate analysis revealed significant nutritional content, with 33.08% carbohydrates, 16% crude fiber, 15.5% ash, 14.5% crude fat, 16% moisture content, and 4.92% protein, suggesting a mineral-rich and energy-supplying plant profile. Despite promising phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial screening showed no inhibitory activity against selected microorganisms in either ethanolic or n-hexane extracts, with only minimal activity (2.3 mm zone of inhibition) observed against Escherichia coli at high ethanol concentrations. These results suggest that while Bryophyllum pinnatum possesses valuable phytochemicals and a nutritionally beneficial proximate composition, further research into its bioactive compounds and optimal extraction methods is needed to fully understand its medicinal potential. Keywords: Bryophyllum pinnatum, phytochemical screening, proximate analysis, Antimicrobial activity, Nutritional composition, Therapeutic potential.