ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigates the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the leaf and stem-bark extracts of D. mespiliformisagainst some pathogenic microorganisms.Methods:The leaf and stem-bark extracts ofDiospyros mespiliformis fromEbanaceae family,which is used as herbal remedies for the cure of many ailments by natives in northern part of Nigeria, were collected from Mubi in Mubi North Local Government area of Adamawa State, air dried, pulverised, extracted by simple overnight maceration techniques and analyzed. Aqueous extracts of the aforementioned parts of the plant were screened phytochemically for its chemicalconstituents and subjected to antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes andSalmonella typhi.Results:The results show that alkaloids, anthraquinones, carbohydrates,flavonoids, phlobatannins,saponins, steroids,tannins and terpenoids are present in both the leaf and the stem-bark extracts of the plant while glycosides are present in the leaf extract but absent in the stem-bark extract. The antimicrobial activity reveals that both the leaf and the stem-bark extracts of the plant, showed high sensitivity to Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes andSalmonella typhi. Conclusion:The phytochemical constituents and the antimicrobial potential of the plant part may account for varied ethnobotanical uses of the plants in traditional medicine in Nigeria, which if further purified can be used to source novel antibiotics
ABSTRACT
The effects of medium term administration of crude Diospyros mespiloformis root extracts on some biochemical parameters were investigated in mice. Forty mice were divided into two groups of twenty animals each. Animals in group I were gavaged with the root extracts at 400mg/kg/body weight for five weeks. Group II received normal saline (0.09%w/v NaCl) and served as controls. Whole body weights, fresh organ weights, packed cell volume (PCV) and some serum biochemical parameters were analysed using standard methods. Results showed minimal variation in whole body weights and packed cell volumes of animals given the extracts. Also values for some organ weights, triacyglycerides (148.25± 2.78 mg/dL), and Alkaline Phosphatase (41.50± 1.71 mg/dL) were not significantly (p > 0.05) different between test and control animals in the final week. However, heart (0.74%), lungs (4.43%), glucose (113.92 ± 2.43 mg/dL), total proteins (4.75 ± 1.25mg/dL), Aspartate Transaminase (40.50 ± 1.50 μL) and Alanine Transaminase (43.52 ± 4.50μL), were significantly (p < 0.05) different between the animals administered D. mespiliformis and controls. These results are early indications that long term consumption of D. mespiliformis could predispose to adverse tissue effects.