OBAYAGBONA FAVOUR ESEOSA

This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, andantimicrobial activity of the methanol leaf extract of Bryophyllumpinnatum(Crassulaceae), a plant widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of infections, inflammation, and wounds. The crude extract was prepared by maceration in methanol and screened for secondary metabolites using standard phytochemical tests. The extract showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, carbohydrates, and anthraquinones, while tannins were absent. Quantitative analysesrevealed a total phenolic content of 0.040 ± 0.008 mg GAE/g and a total flavonoidcontent of 0.197 ± 0.005 mg QE/g, confirming the predominance of flavonoidconstituents.The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated using DPPHandFRAP assays. The DPPH radical scavenging test showed concentration-dependent activity with an IC₅₀ value of 189 µg/mL compared to 120 µg/mL for ascorbic acid, whilethe FRAP assay demonstrated moderate reducing power. Antimicrobial screeningusingthe agar well diffusion method against selected bacterial and fungal isolates (S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, B. subtilis, C. albicans, and A. niger) revealedthat the methanol extract exhibited no detectable inhibitory zones at 1000 mg/mL, whereasstandard drugs ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole showed significant activity. The findings indicate that Bryophyllum pinnatum contains bioactive secondarymetabolites with measurable antioxidant capacity but limited antimicrobial effect underthe tested conditions. Nonetheless, its strong phytochemical and antioxidant profilesupports its ethnomedicinal use and suggests potential for further purificationandevaluation of its individual constituents as sources of novel therapeutic agents.