Background: To determine the anti-dysenteric, phytochemicals and antioxidative properties of the root extracts of Hydnora africana. The use of plants for the treatment of dysentery and other diseases in traditional medicine has increased on the basis of these rich traditional medicine systems. Series of pharmacological tests are recommended since the aetiology of many diseases may be due to more than one factor.
Methods: The agar well diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of bacterial strains to crude extracts of the plant. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the microdilution test. The presence of phytochemicals and antioxidant was also assessed using standard methods.
Results: The antimicrobial activity of H. africana against all the tested organisms demonstrated a mean zone diameter of inhibition ranging from 0 to 25 mm. The MIC of the extracts ranged from 0.071 to 5.0 mg/mL. Antioxidant activity showed lower ferric reducing activities, moderate nitric oxide, moderate DPPH and higher ABTS scavenging activities of the plant. Phytochemical assay revealed the presence and equivalent quantity of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins and phenolic acid in the extracts. The water and methanol extracts were also shown as the best solvents of extraction for the phytochemicals.
Conclusions: The methanol and acetone extracts of H. africana exhibited a significant antibacterial and antioxidant activities, suggesting the presence of either good bioactive potency or the high concentration of the active principle in the extracts which may serve as a guide for selecting bio- medicinal substances of plant origin in antidysenteric drugs.