IN-VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF ASPILLA AFRICANA (COMPOSITAE).

The in vitro anti-microbial activity of the petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of Aspilia africana (Compositae) was studied. The bacterial used for the antimicrobial analysis consisted of 3 clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis , 2 clinical strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus . The petroleum ether extract was most active with a very good broad spectrum activity against all tested microorganisms. This was followed by the chloroform extract and then methanol. The cold extracts were generally more active than the soxhlet extracts. Only the cold petroleum ether extract showed a good activity against both C. albicans and A. flavus. The phytochemical screening for the whole plat of A. africana revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponin glycosides and tannins but absence of steroidal nucleus and anthraquinone