ANTIBACTERIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF METHANOL ROOTS EXTRACT OF Boscia angustifolia

Abstract

The study investigated the antibacterial action of Boscia angustifolia extracts with the aim of identifying its phytochemical constituents and evaluating its efficacy against selected bacterial species. The plant material was collected, extracted using methanol, and subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening. The antibacterial activity of the extract was assessed against Klebsiella, Bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli using the agar well diffusion method. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and saponin glycosides, while tannins, volatile oils, anthraquinones, and steroids were not detected. Antibacterial screening indicated that the extract at 40-80mg/mL exhibited strong activity against Klebsiella and Bacillus species, with inhibition zones ranging from 13 to 19 and 14 mm to 18 mm, respectively. However, no inhibitory activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. The results showed a concentration-dependent antibacterial effect, suggesting that the bioactive compounds in Boscia angustifolia may act by disrupting bacterial cell membranes or interfering with essential enzymatic pathways. The findings confirm that Boscia angustifolia contains pharmacologically active metabolites capable of inhibiting specific bacterial species. These results support its ethnomedicinal use in treating bacterial infections and highlight its potential as a source of new antibacterial agents. Further studies are recommended to isolate and characterize the active compounds, conduct in vivo assays, and explore possible synergistic effects with conventional antibiotics. Keywords: Boscia angustifolia, antibacterial activity, phytochemicals, saponins, alkaloids, Klebsiella, Bacillus, antimicrobial mechanism.