Veritatis Gaudium: Multidisciplinary Journal of Postgraduate Studies

Autoimmune diseases are commonly managed with immunosuppressive therapies that increase patients’ susceptibility to bacterial infections, a problem compounded by the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity of Sarcocephalus latifolius extracts against selected clinical bacterial isolates associated with autoimmune-related infections. Leaf, stem, root, and bark samples were extracted using aqueous and ethanol solvents. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were performed using standard methods, while antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Streptococcus pyogenes was determined by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Aqueous extracts produced higher extraction yields, whereas ethanolic extracts exhibited significantly greater antibacterial activity. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, and other bioactive compounds, with bark containing the highest concentrations of most metabolites. Ethanolic bark and leaf extracts produced the largest inhibition zones and the lowest MIC and MBC values. Two-way ANOVA showed that solvent type, plant part, and their interaction significantly influenced antibacterial activity (p < 0.0001). These findings demonstrate that S. latifolius possesses promising antibacterial properties and may serve as a potential source of affordable antimicrobial agents for managing bacterial infections in immunocompromised patients.

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