In vitro Anti-infective and Antioxidant activity of Xylopia aethiopica [Dun.] A. Rich: A comparison of the fruits and leaves extracts

Abstract

Xylopia aethiopica (Annonaceae) is a plant widely used in Africa for both culinary and medicinal purposes. This study aims at evaluating by comparison the anti-infective and antioxidant activities of X. aethiopica fruit and leaves. Ethanol extracts of the leaves and fruits of X. aethiopica were evaluated for antimicrobial, anthelmintic and antioxidant activities. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against clinical strains of selected microorganisms. Anthelmintic activity was evaluated by determining the effects of the extracts on the paralytic and death times of Pheretima posthuma. Antioxidant activity was determine by the DPPH free radical scavenging method. Results revealed that the extracts from the fruits showed better antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than that of the leaves as well as a concentration dependent anthelmintic activity. This could justify the extensive use of the fruits than the leaves in folkloric medicine.