The plant Dyschoriste pedicellata (Acanthaceae) was investigated for its medicinal potential. The method of cold maceration was employed for extraction using petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol sequentially. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponnins,glycosides and steroids. The crude extracts were evaluated for antimicrobial potential using the following clinical isolates; Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The zone of inhibition of test organisms ranged from 10 – 17 mm (pet ether), 13 – 23 mm (ethyl acetate), and 12 - 28 mm (methanol). These were compared with Ampiclox (26 mm), ciprofloxacin 20 – 24 mm, Amoxicillin 15 mm and Fluconazole (20 mm). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) showed that pet ether extract had an MIC of 12.5 mg/ml against Streptococcus pneumonia and Klebsiella pneumonia. The methanol and ethyl acetate fractions had MIC values of 6.25 mg/ml against Aspergillus niger. The presence of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponnins and glycosides and also the observed antimicrobial activity of the extracts are potentials present in Dyschoriste pedicellata worth investigating.
Key words: Dyschoriste pedicelleta, maceration, Plant extract, Acanthaceae, antimicrobial agents.