Abstract

Plants are a rich source of many natural products which have been extensively used for the good of man and for treating various diseases. Medicinal plants have long been recognized as alternative sources with immense potential as antimicrobial agents. Jatropha curcas, a multipurpose plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family is gaining popularity because of its several potentials and application in traditional medicine to cure various infections. This study evaluated the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical composition and antibacterial potential of Jatropha curcas leaf extracts. Using aqueous and hydro-ethanol solvents, extracts were tested against common bacteria associated with skin infections which included Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes and Escherichia coli. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion and broth dilution methods. Phytochemical screening which was conducted using standard laboratory procedure confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and glycosides. Higher concentrations of these phyto-constituents were found in the hydro-ethanol extract than the aqueous extract. Both leaf extracts exhibited zones of inhibition on the bacteria growth in a range of 2-17 mm at different concentrations. For the hydro-ethanol extract, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most inhibited while the least inhibited was Streptococcus pyogenes. In the case of the aqueous extract; it was able to inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa while Staphylococcus aureus was the least inhibited. The hydro-ethanol extract showed greater antibacterial effectiveness, with better inhibitory and bactericidal effects when compared to the aqueous extract. The results support the medicinal use of Jatropha curcas leaves, suggesting their potential as a natural cost-effective antibacterial agent.

Keywords: Active compounds, inhibitory concentration, medicinal plants, treatment