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THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE CRUDE METHANOL EXTRACT AND FRACTIONS OF ALBIZIAZYGIA STEM- BARK

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to global public health, necessitating the exploration of new sources for antimicrobial agents (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). Among these sources, medicinal plants have garnered considerable attention due to their rich phytochemical compositions and historical use in traditional medicine (Newman & Cragg, 2020). One such plant is Albizia zygia, a member of the Fabaceae family, which has been traditionally utilized in various regions of Africa for treating a wide array of ailments (Abubakar et al., 2018).

Albizia zygia, commonly known as the West African albizia, is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 meters in height (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 2019). It is widely distributed across tropical Africa, from Senegal in the west to Uganda in the east. The plant is known for its use in traditional African medicine, where different parts, including the stem bark, leaves, and roots, are employed for their therapeutic properties (Asase & Oppong-Mensah, 2019).

The stem bark of Albizia zygia is particularly valued in traditional medicine. It has been used to treat various conditions such as infections, inflammations, and gastrointestinal disorders (Adebayo et al., 2020). Traditional healers often prepare decoctions or infusions from the stem bark to address these ailments (Burkill, 2020). The widespread use of Albizia zygia in ethnomedicine underscores the potential of its bioactive compounds as sources of new antimicrobial agents.

Research into the phytochemical constituents of Albizia zygia has revealed a complex array of bioactive compounds. These include saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides, all of which contribute to the plant's medicinal properties (Sofowora, 2018). Saponins, in particular, are noted for their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities (Sulaiman et al., 2021). Flavonoids are also significant due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (Pandey & Rizvi, 2018).

The crude methanol extract of Albizia zygia stem bark can be obtained through a process of maceration or Soxhlet extraction. Methanol is chosen for its efficacy in extracting a broad spectrum of phytochemicals (Das et al., 2020). Following extraction, the crude methanol extract can be subjected to fractionation using solvents of increasing polarity, such as hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. This fractionation process helps isolate the different classes of compounds present in the extract, facilitating the identification and characterization of bioactive constituents (Akindele & Busayo, 2018).

The antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants like Albizia zygia is of significant interest due to the rising incidence of drug-resistant pathogens. Studies have demonstrated that the crude methanol extract and its fractions exhibit significant antimicrobial activity against a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi (Aliyu et al., 2020). This activity is primarily attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds such as

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