Screening for Water Soluble Antimicrobial Compounds of Peelings and Starchy Cortex of Manihot esculenta Crantz. (Cassava) & Colocasia esculenta Schott & EndL (Taro) & Seed Coat and Seed of Arachis hypogaea Linn. (Peanut)

Abstract

Most of the studies conducted by researchers on the antimicrobial property of the chemicals produced by plants for defense and for inhibition of the microflora surrounding it, utilize dried and powdered form of the plant. This study focused on freshly harvested root crops and water-based antimicrobials. The objective of this study is to detect the presence of antimicrobial properties of crude water extract of freshly harvested Manihot esculent Crantz. (Cassava) and Colocasia esculenta Schott & Endl. (Taro) peelings and starchy cortex and Arachis hypogaea Linn. (Peanut) seed coat and seed against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coll, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhizopus sp.. Freshly harvested M. esculenta and C. esculenta were peeled and the cortex shaved and macerated in 1:2 parts of water using a mortar and pestle while A. hypogaea seed coat and seed were separated and macerated in 1:2 parts of water using a mortar and pestle. The extracts were sterilized via membrane filtration (0.45 um) and the antimicrobial property was tested using the Kirby Bauer Assay. Detection of secondary metabolites was done on plant extracts which exhibited zones of inhibition. Results show that the extract from Manihot esculenta cortex exhibited antimicrobial activity versus Staphylococcus aureus. The cortex of Manihot esculenta was found to contain glycosidic compounds. Arachis hypogaea seed coat exhibited weak antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus which could be due to the minute concentration of the active compound, the dilution of the compound or its low solubility in water.