Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of the stem bark, leaf and root extracts of Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst

Investigation of the native species Sclerocarya birrea was conducted within the framework of scientific valorization and justification of the medicinal use of this plant by most Niger people to treat infectious diseases.
The aim of this study is to investigate the antibacterial activity and the phytochemical constituents of the crude extracts of root, bark and leaf of Sclerocarya birrea.
The collected different plant parts were air dried, powdered and separately extracted with ethanol and methanol. The alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin and tannin contents in all the plant parts were estimated using standard methods. The total and serially diluted fractions of the extracts were tested for antibacterial activity against selected enteropathogens by agar well diffusion and deep-well microdilution method.
Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoid, saponin and tannin in all the plant extracts. The extracts from the different parts showed varied antibacterial activity against the test bacteria. The bark extracts showed superior activity against Escherichia coli (zone of inhibition = 17 mm) and Salmonella typhi (zone of inhibition = 20 mm) at 200mg/ml.
The presence of these important phytochemical groups and the antibacterial potential of these extracts could permit to justify the traditional usage of Sclerocarya birrea against infectious diseases including diarrhea.