Antimicrobial activities of the crude methanol extract as well as the ethylacetate and n-butanol fractions from the leaves of Indigofera pulchra used in traditional medicine to treat infected wound were investigated using agar diffusion and broth dilution techniques. The extract and the fractions were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Eschericia coli and Candida albicans using Ampiclox as standard antibiotic. The crude methanol extract and the n-butanol fraction showed activity against all the organisms tested with the exception E.coli, while the ethylacetate fraction showed activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa only. Phytochemical screening revealed that the crude extract and n-butanol fraction contain tannins, flavonoids and saponins, while the ethylacetate fraction contains tannins and flavonoids only. The results suggest that the the plant contains active constituents and its antimicrobial activity justifies its use in traditional medicine.


Keywords : Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Indigofera pulchra