Continental J.

Pharmaceutical Sciences 5: 11 - 14, 2011 ISSN: 2141 - 4149

© Wilolud Journals, 2011 http://www.wiloludjournal.com
` Printed in Nigeria

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIFUNGAL EVALUATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT

OF Schwenckia americana L .(Solanaceae)
1,2
Abdulgafar O. Jimoh., Halilu M.E3., Aminu Chika1, Muhammad T. Umar1, Hudu A. Shuaibu4
1
Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria. 2Health
Services Department, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto-Nigeria, 3 Department of Pharmacognosy and
Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria. 4Department of
Pathology and Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto-Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
Schwenckia americana belong to the family Solanaceae. it is called Dandana in Hausa (Nigeria). It is used in
Hausa traditional medicine to treat arthritis and fungal infections. The result of the phytochemical studies revealed
the presence of Saponins, Tannins, Flavonoids, Steroids, Alkaloids and Cardiac glycosides. The antifungal
evaluation was carried out using the well diffusion method. Sterile distilled water was used as negative control
while ketoconazole was used as the positive control. The concentrations of the plant used were 25 mg/ml, 50
mg/ml and 100mg/ml respectively. At these concentrations, the extract inhibited the growth of Trichophyton
mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum, and Candida albicans and produced percentage inhition ranging between
62.2% to 80.8%. The antifungal activity demostrated by the plant extract may due to the presence of the
phytochemicals presnt in the plant. Therefore, the ethnomedical application of the plant in the treatment of fungal
infections in Hausa traditional medicine is justified.

KEYWORDS: Schwenckia americana, Phytochemical screening, Antifungal evaluation

INTRODUCTION
The use of plants as medicinal agents dates back to the time early man. Plant parts were used by early man in its raw and
cooked form to cure various forms illness (Kafaru, 1994). While searching for medicinal plants in north western Nigeria
(West Africa), Schwenckia americana was selected due to its ethnomedical applications in Hausa (Nigerian tribe)
traditional medicine. In Hausa, it is called Dandana. The plant belongs to the family Solanaceae. According to the
renowned herbalist, the crude powdered plant is mixed with fresh fat obtained from cow milk and made into paste. The
paste is used to treat arthritis and other forms of pains associated to limbs. The paste is applied topically. The aerial parts
are widely valued in West Africa to treat diseases of babies and small children. A leaf decoction is given to pregnant
women when the foetus develops too slowly and is taken by breast-feeding women to prevent diarrhoea of the baby
(Iwu,1993) . The roots are chewed to cure respiratory diseases in children. A root decoction is given to babies as a
purgative. An infusion of the aerial parts is used as a mouth wash to cure mouth infections. The plant sap or a decoction of
the whole plant is applied as eye drops and nose drops to treat headache, sinusitis and conjunctivitis (Iwu, 1993).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collection and Identification of Plant Material.
The plant was collected in October, 2010 by Mallam. Muhammadu Sarkin Jakkai in the ancient city of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi
State North Western-Nigeria. The plant was identified in the herbarium unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Usmanu
Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria By mallam Auwali Umar (Taxonomist). The Voucher specimen is deposited in the
herbarium unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

Preparation of Plant Material.

The whole plant was air dried under shade and then size reduced into fine powder using pestle and mortar. The powder was
then stored in an appropriate container until required for use.

11
 Abdulgafar O. Jimoh et al.,: Continental J. Pharmaceutical Sciences 5: 11 - 14, 2011

Extraction of Plant Material.

Two hundred gram (200 g) of the whole plant was extracted with 500 mls of methanol, using soxhlet extractor. The
resulting extract was evaporated to dryness using hot air drier controlled at 64 oC. The percentage yield of the extract was
twenty percent (20%).

Phytochemical Analysis.
The following Phytochemicals which include Flavonoids, Saponins, Alkaloids, Tannins, Steroids and Cardiac glycosides
were analyzed using the methods outlined in Brain and Turner (1975), Trease and Evans (2005) and Harbone(1975).

Antifungal Screening
Test Organisms
The test organisms were standard laboratory strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum, and Candida
albicans. The organisms were obtained from the Department of Biological Sciences (Mycology Laboratory), Faculty of
Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Antimicrobial Activity
Well diffusion method (Oboh et al., 2007) was used. The sterilized media was poured into petri dishes. The solidified
plates were flooded with the various dilution of the test microorganisms and drained with sterile Pasteur pipette. Wells
measuring 8.0mm in diameter were bored into the inoculated plates using cork borer (No.4). The wells were filled with 30
mg/ml of the methanolic extract. Distilled water was used as negative control while ketoconazole was used as positive
control. The plates were then incubated at room temperature (270C-300C) for five days. The zones of inhibition were
measured using linear measurement with the aid of a vernier calliper.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of the Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of Saponins, Tannins, Flavonoids, Steroids, Alkaloids and
Cardiac glycosides (Table.1). Saponins occur constitutively in a great many plant species, in both wild plants and
cultivated crops. In cultivated crops the triterpenoid saponins are generally predominant, while steroid saponins are
common in plants used as herbs or for their health-promoting properties (Fenwick et al., 1991). Saponins may
beconsidered a part of plants’ defence systems, and as such have been included in a large group of protective molecules
found in plants (Morrissey and Osbourn, 1999). Some saponins have also been found to have antioxidative or reductive
activity. A group of saponins produced in legumes, namely, group B soyasaponins, contain an antioxidant moiety attached
at C23 (Yoshiki et al. 1998). Many saponins are known to be antimicrobial, to inhibit mould and to protect plants from
insect attack. Saponins have high toxicity against fungi (Delmas et al .,2000). Fungicidal activity against
Trichodermaviride was previously used as an identification method for saponins. Kalopanaxsaponins A and I isolated from
Kalopanax pinctus exhibited strong and specific antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans
(Kim et al. 1998). The antifungal activity of methanolic extract (25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, and 100 mg/ml) showed that the
extract has activity against T. mentagrophytes, M. gypseum and C. albicans (Table. 2). Tannins are polyhydroxy
compounds and have been reported show both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity (Min et., al, 2008). Flavonoids are
also a group of polyhydroxy compounds that is known to have both antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. From Table 2,
the methanolic extract of Schwenckia Americana is active on all the fungal strains tested. The extract produced percentage
inhibition ranging between 62.2% to 80.8%. At 100 mg/ml, the extract produced the highest percentage inhibition of 80.8%
on C. albicans. At 25 mg/ml, the extract produced least percentage inhibition of 62.2% on C. albicans (Table 2). Also, the
percentage inhibition of growth produced by the extract on the other fungal strains tested ranges between 65% to 75% (see
Table 2). By observing Table 2, it can be deduced that Schwenckia Americana showed a remarkable antifungal activity
when compared with ketoconazole (positive control) which produced a percentage inhibition of 98.8% (Table 2).
Therefore, the antifungal activity exhibited by this plant extract may be due to the presence tannins, saponins and
flavonoids in plant which have been reported to have antifungal properties.

12
 Abdulgafar O. Jimoh et al.,: Continental J. Pharmaceutical Sciences 5: 11 - 14, 2011

Table 1: Summary of The Results Phytochemical Analysis of Schwenckia americana.

S/No. Phytochemical group Result
1. Alkaloids +
2. Saponins +
3. Flavonoids +
4. Tannins +
5. Steroids +
6. Cardiac glycosides +
Note: + = Present

Table 2: Summary of The Results of Antifungal Activities of the Methanolic Extract of Schwenckia americana
Test Percentage inhibition of growth (%)
organisms S.americana S.americana S.americana Ketoconazole Distilled
(25mg/ml) (50mg/ml) (100mg/ml) (100 mg/ml) water
T. 65.0 70.6 73.0 98.8 0.0
mentagrophyt
es
M. gypseum 65.0 65.2 75.0 98.8 0.0
C. albicans 62.2 68.0 80.8 98.8 0.0
Note : Results are means of 3 readings.

CONCLUSION
The results of our studies have shown that S. americana contains Saponins, Tannins, Flavonoids, Steroids, Alkaloids and
Cardiac glycosides. The plant extract also showed antifungal activity at concentrations of 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml and
100mg/ml respectively. At these concentrations, the extract inhibited the growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes,
Microsporum gypseum, and Candida albicans and produced percentage inhition ranging between 62.2% to 80.8%.
Therefore, the ethnomedical application of the plant in the treatment of fungal infections is justified.

REFERENCES
Brain, K.R and Turner T.D. (1975). The practical Evaluation of Phytopharmaceuticals. Wright-scientechnica, Pp 90-121.

Delmas F, Di Giorgio C, Elias R, Gasquet M, Azas N, Mshvildadze V, Dekanosidze G, Kemertelidze E & Timon-David P
.(2000). Antileishmanial activity of three saponins isolated from ivy, alpha-hederin, beta-hederin and hederacolchiside
A(1), as compared with their action on mammalian cells cultured in vitro. Planta Medica66, 343–347.

Fenwick GR, Price KR, Tsukamoto C & Okubo K (1991). Saponins. In Saponins in Toxic Substances in Crop Plants, [FJP
D’Mello, CM Duffus and JH Duffus, editors]. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Harbone, J.B. (1973). Phytochemical Methods: A guide to modern techniques of plant analysis. Chapman and Hall Ltd.
London. Pp49-188.

Iwu, M.M.(1993). Handbook of African medicinal plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, United States. 464 pp.

Kafaru, E. (1994). immense help from nature’s work shop, guidelines on How to use herbs to achieve healthy living. Elikf
Health Services. Pp 6-10.

Kim DW, Bang KH, Rhee YH, Lee KT & Park HJ (1998b). Growth inhibitory activities of kalopanaxsaponins A and I
against human pathogenic fungi. Archives of Pharmaceutical Research 21, 688–691.

Min, B. R., Pinchak, W. E., Merkel, R., Walker, S., Tomita, G., and Anderson, R. C.(2008) .Comparative antimicrobial
activity of tannin extracts from perennial plants on mastitis pathogens. Scientific Research and Essay Vol.3 (2), pp. 066-
073,

13
 Abdulgafar O. Jimoh et al.,: Continental J. Pharmaceutical Sciences 5: 11 - 14, 2011

Morrissey J.P and Osbourn A.E (1999). Fungal resistance to plant antibiotics as a mechanism of pathogenesis.
Microbiological and Molecular Biological Reviews63, 708–724.

Oboh, I.E., Akerele, J.O and Obasuyi, O.(2007). Antimicrobial Activity of The Ethanol Extract of The Aerial Parts of Sida
acuta burm.f. (malvaceae). Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 6 (4): 809-813

Trease and Evans.(2005). Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy. 15th Edition. Elsevier India. Pp135-150.

Yoshiki Y, Kudou S & Okubo K. (1998). Relationship between chemical structures and biological activities of triterpenoid
saponins from soybean (Review). Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 62, 2291–2299.

Received for Publication: 05/02/2011

Accepted for Publication: 14/03/2011

Corresponding Author:
Abdulgafar O. Jimoh,
Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria
Mailing address: P.O.Box, 2005, Sokoto, Sokoto State.
Email address: layidotcom@yahoo.com

14