Antimicrobial and Phytochemical Evaluation of Vigna subterranean (L.) Verdc. (Bambara groundnut)

Abstract

Vigna subterranean, an underutilized legume commonly utilized in local therapy to resolve health conditions mediated by bacterial and fungal infections, was the primary purpose of this research work. The main objectives were to carry out a comprehensive examination of specific chemical components of the plant and explore the antibacterial and antifungal efficiency of the ethanolic extract from the root of V. subterranean. After the samples were collected, they were dried in the shade, pulverized, and then macerated (with 100% ethanol) to extract the components. The resulting liquid extract was subjected to evaporation to attain dryness and then underwent both phytochemical screening and antimicrobial assessment employing varying concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/ml) to evaluate the susceptibility of clinical bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and also a fungus (Candida albicans) utilizing established protocols, with Ciprofloxacin and Fluconazole utilized as positive controls for antibacterial and antifungal investigations, respectively. The phytocompounds present are steroid, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and flavonoids while anthraquinone was conspicuously absent. The results revealed that the effectiveness of the extract from this plant is dose-dependent, with the most significant inhibition zone observed at 1.5 mm/ml for both antibacterial and antifungal evaluations. The antimicrobial properties demonstrated were enhanced when plant extracts were augmented with Ciprofloxacin against the test isolates. The findings derived from this study emphasize the potential of the V. subterranean root as a promising reservoir for antimicrobial agents, thereby corroborating the historical usage of the plant in traditional medicine to combat microbial infections.