Preliminary studies on Luffa cylindrica : Comparative phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of the fresh and dried aerial parts

The Nigerian climate favours a wide variety of plants with vast antimicrobial and medicinal potentials, some of which have been used traditionally for decades. The fresh and dried aerial parts (leaves, flowers and stem) of Luffa cylindrica were extracted with water, chloroform and methanol and screened for secondary metabolites. Extracts were found to contain alkaloids, saponins and tannins. The extracts also showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The zones of inhibition ranged between 18.00 and 27.00 mm. L. cylindrica extract showed a greater zone of inhibition on C. albicans ranging from 20.00 to 27.00 mm. The fresh plant extract was shown to be more active than the dried plant extract. The inhibitory potentials of this plant can be attributed to its phytochemical contents. With the increasing rate of candidiasis infection worsened by the high rate of HIV/AIDS infection, this plant holds great promise for development into phytomedicine for the treatment of candidiasis in the near future.