Gc/ms Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Diethyl Ether Fraction of Methanolic Extract from the Stem Bark of Annona Senegalensis Pers

The Diethyl ether fraction of the Methanolic extract of Annona senegalensis (Pers) stem bark was prepared in yield of (0.16%). Preparative Thin Layer Chromatography analysis of the fraction resulted in the identification of two spots with antimicrobial activity. Subsequent GC/MS analysis of these spots resulted in the identification of ten components (spot one) and fourteen components (spot two). The fraction showed significant antimicrobial activity against clinical isolates of E. coli, S. enteriditis and S. dysenteriae. INTRODUCTION: Plants are recognized for their ability to produce a wealth of secondary metabolites . Many of these natural products have been shown to present interesting biological and pharmacological activities and are used as chemotherapeutic agents or serve as the starting point in the development of modern medicines . In developing countries where antibiotics can be used on an unrestricted basis, the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria has caused considerable public health concern. The increasing failure of chemotherapeutics and the antibiotic resistance exhibited by pathogenic microbial infectious agents has led to the screening of several medicinal plants for their potential antimicrobial activity 3, . The success story of chemotherapy lies in the continuous search for new drugs to counter the challenge posed by resistant strains of microorganisms. Besides, the more current and most effective antibiotics are very expensive and out of reach of many Africans, majority of whom reside in the rural areas. The investigation of certain indigenous plants may yield useful results. A large number of plants indeed were used to combat different diseases and known to posses antimicrobial activity . Some bacteria showing resistance to certain antibiotics have also been shown to be sensitive to extracts of both garlic and clove . Annona senegalensis, Pers is a shrub that belongs to the family Annonaceae and is usually found growing in semi-arid to sub-humid regions of Africa. It is native and widely spread from Senegal to Nigeria, also Central African Republic. The common names of the plant are wild custard apple (English), “Gwanda dagi” (Hausa), “Annone, pomme cannelle du Senegal” (French) .