Phytochemical Study and Antimicrobial Activity of Various Extracts of Merremia tridentata (Convolvulaceae) Leaves

Abstract

Merremia tridentata (Convolvulaceae) is a plant belonging to the African pharmacopoeia. Its leaves are traditionally used in Senegal to treat a variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and urinary tract infections. The present study aims to highlight the presence or absence of certain families of chemical compounds through phytochemical screening, and then evaluate the antimicrobial activities of the various extracts from the leaves of Merremia tridentata. The sensitivity of the various extracts to gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATC C29212 and gram-negative isolates of bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC25922) has been studied using the disc diffusion method. This technique allows for the determination of the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the inhibition diameter. The results showed that the strain of Staphylococcus aureus is more sensitive to the various extracts. The raw ethanol extract showed better inhibition at a concentration of 3.125 mg/mL followed by the raw methanol extracts at 12.5 mg/mL. The raw methanol, dichloromethane, and defatted ethanol extracts evaluated on the Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC29212 showed bactericidal action, however the raw ethanol extract was bacteriostatic. But, when the same extracts were tested on the Escherichia coli strain ATCC25922, only the defatted ethanol extract showed bactericidal action.