title: Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Plants Used Traditionally as a Source of Food.
abstract: Many indigenous plants have also been used as a source of food and medicine in many African rural communities in the past. The study investigated the antimicrobial activity, phytochemical constituent, and antioxidant activity of selected traditional plants used traditionally as a source of food and medicine. The methanol and water extracts of different plant parts were analyzed for phytochemicals using standard phytochemical screening reagents while the broth microdilution assays were used to analyze antimicrobial activities. Alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and terpenes were found in one or more of the plant extracts, and all the plant extracts demonstrated scavenging activities. The back extracts of Sclerocarya birrea and the leaf extracts of Garcinia livingstonei exhibit the best antioxidant activities, while the water and methanol back extracts of S. birrea and G. livingstonei were the most active against all the tested foodborne bacteria.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa , Florida, South Africa .
authors.forename: Frederick Tawi
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Tabit
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa , Florida, South Africa .
authors.forename: Naomi Tope
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Komolafe
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Science, University of Pretoria , Pretoria, South Africa .
authors.forename: Thilivhali Emmanuel
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Tshikalange
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa , Florida, South Africa .
authors.forename: Monde Alfred
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nyila
mesh_terms: D035162:Adansonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D027926:Anacardiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D029760:Garcinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: • Adansonia digitata; • antibacterial activity; • antioxidant activity