Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Selected Medicinal Plants Used by Mamanwa in Caraga Region

Abstract

The study was conducted to scientifically validate 15 herbal plants traditionally utilized by the Mamanwa of Mindanao for child health care. Phytochemical screening for alkaloids, anthraquinones, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and tannins was done as well as antimicrobial activity testingof thecrude ethanolic and methanolic extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Result of Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of anthraquinones in the 14 plants sample except alibangbang leaves, 13 were present with alkaloid and steroid except tagbak tubers and togup bark, 9 plant sample contains flavonoids, 5 plant sample contains saponins and 4 plant sample contains tannins. Antimicrobial result from ethanolic and methanolic extract shows only three herbal plants were found to be inactive with the four test organisms and the rest of the test plants were partially active, active and very active. Alibangbang leaves with ethanolic and methanolic extract showed high affinity or very active with S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli while lunas bark in ethanolic extract was found to be very active with S. aureus and togup bark in ethanolic extract showed very active with P. aeruginosa.