Active Phytochemicals and Antimicrobial Properties of the Extracts of Xylopia aethiopica Root and Stem Bark

The use of plants to prevent and cure diseases traditionally has been a common practice all over the world even with no scientific evidence of why they have been used. Xylopia aethiopica is one of such plant known to be a medicinal plant of great repute in West Africa in the treatment of various diseases. In this study, phytochemical constituent and antimicrobial activities of the stem bark and root extracts of Xylopia aethiopica were investigated. Results obtained showed the presence of some phytochemical compounds known to be biologically active and therefore aid the antimicrobial potency of the plant material. The antimicrobial inhibition of the crude extracts of these plant parts compare quite well with the commercial antibiotic drugs used as standard reference. The results suggest that the pure form of the bioactive compound (s) responsible for this activity may prove to be a better antimicrobial drug.