DOI: 10.36347/sajp

Pages: 35-41

The root of Pachystelabrevipes, which has some medicinal applications was investigated. The results of the phytochemical analysis showed the presence of carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, saponins, steroids/ triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids. The crude extracts showed zone of inhibition in the range, 16-19 mm (pet.ether), 20-24 mm (chloroform), 20-27 mm (ethylacetate) and 20-22 mm (methanol), against the test organism; Nettricillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli; Salmonella typhi, Shigelladysenterea, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, klebsiella pneumonia, Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris and Streptococcus feacalis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.5 mg/mL was recorded for the chloroform, ethylacetate and methanol fraction against the entire test organism except S. pyogenes, C. krusei, P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris. The petroleum ether fraction showed MIC of 5.0 mg/mL. The minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) determination showed that a concentration of 5-10 mg/mL of the pet.ether, chlororform, ethylacetate and methanol fraction could completely kill all the test organism except S. pyogenes, C. krusei, P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris.Zymosterol (3β-hydroxy-4β-methyl-5α-cholesta-6,22-diene-4α-carboxylic acid) was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and confirmed purely by spectral techniques.