Effect of extraction solvents on phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of Emilia sonchifolia

This study was carried out to screen and compare the active phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of ethanol and aqueous extracts of £ sonchifolia. Preliminary screening tests for phytochemical constituents were performed on aqueous and ethanol extracts of E. sonchifolia. Ethanol extracts of E. sonchifolia was found to extract more active phytochemical constituents which included alkaloids, tannins, diterpenes, flavonoids and glycosides compared to aqueous extracts which only extracted alkaloids and glycosides. Antimicrobial activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of E. sonchifolia against Staphylococcus aerues, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli were also performed using disc diffusion method. Mean diameter of inhibition zones were analysed using two-way ANOVA at 5% significant level. MICs were determined on the presence of inhibition zones that shown in the results of initial antimicrobial activities. For antimicrobial activities, ethanol extract of £ sonchifolia was found to inhibit S. aerues, B. cereus, S. typhi and E. coli with mean of inhibition zones of 9.67 mm, 14.67mm, 9 mm and 11 mm respectively. For minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the lowest MIC value (0.375 g/ml) was found to be against B. cereus by aqueous and ethanol extracts of E. sonchifolia and £ coli by ethanol extracts. A deeper research into the antimicrobial activities of E. sonchifolia against other bacteria, fungi and yeast should be done for better understanding of the potential of £ sonchifolia