Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of Momordica charantia L. and Morinda lucida Benth extracts from Benin

Momordica charantia and Morinda lucida are Benin’s pharmacopeia plants that are used traditionally for the treatment of infectious diseases. This study aims to investigate phytochemical profile and antimicrobial activity of both plants. The dried leaf powder is used for extraction with different solvents by ultrasonication (35 Hz) at room temperature for 2 h. TLC and the method based on coloring and precipitation differential reactions were used for preliminary screening. HPTLC analysis was performed on silica gel 60 F254, 20.0 X 10.0 cm HPTLC plates, with Toluen: Ethyl acetate: Formic Acid: Methanol (3:4:0.8:0.7 v/v) as a mobile phase. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were assessed in vitro by the method of macrodillution and solid medium agar diffusion. TLC analysis showed many spots which suggest that both of the plants extracts contain various secondary metabolites. HPTLC revealed the presence of Quercetine, cafeic acid and vanilic acid in the plants’ extract. M. charantia extracts have shown the largest inhibition diameters (25.00±0.00 mm) and inhibit more strains than M. lucida extracts. From all the tested strains, only P. aeruginosa was the most sensitive to M. charantia extracts with 50% bactericidal effect.\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\r\n\tKey words: Phytochemical screening, antimicrobial activity, Momordica charantia and Morinda lucida, Benin.