Evaluation of Selected Nigerian Medicinal Plants for Phenolic Content, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Activities

Abstract

Increased exposure to pathogens and free radicals contributes to the high incidence and mortality rate of various types of cancers in Nigeria and globally. This study aimed to screen twenty extracts from fifteen selected Nigerian medicinal plants used traditionally for cancer treatment for phenolic content, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The phenolic content was determined by Folin -Ciocalteu method, and antimicrobial potentials of the extracts was evaluated using spectrophotometric growth inhibition method while MTT assay was used to assess their cytotoxicity to cancer cell lines. Bark and root extracts of T. tetraptera and X. aethiopica demonstrated satisfactory activities in all the biological tests, which could be linked to their high phenolic contents. The findings support the ethnomedicinal uses of most of the tested medicinal plants.