PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF LEAVE EXTRACT OF Amaranthus spinosus

Abstract

Authors: Rabiu Nasir, Haruna Saeed Alhassan, Ahmed Abubakar &Yusuf Ibrahim 

Identification of the constituents of Amaranthus spinosus was carried out using ethanol extract of the dried leaf of the plant. Microbial detection of zone of inhibition was also carried out. The extract yield from the leaves was 17.40 g while phytochemical screening indicated the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and glycosides in the leaf extract. The antimicrobial assay indicated that methanolic extract of the plant were slightly active against the test isolates with the extract being more active against Staphylococcus aureus (15mm), Aspergillus flavus (15mm), E. coli. (13mm) and Mucor spp (10mm). Hence methanol extract of this plant has potent medical values.