South Asian Research Journal of Natural Products

Carica papaya is one of the most valuable plants used for various purposes in medicinal field and ethnomedicine. The aim this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of C. papaya leaf extract using cold maceration method with distilled water, methanol and petroleum-ether. Phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of the following:  alkaloids, saponins flavonoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides and tannins. Antimicrobial activities of the extracts were determined by agar well diffusion method by measuring the diameters of zones of inhibition. In aqueous extract, Klebsiella pneumonia had the highest zone of inhibition (16±0.00 mm) followed by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at 14±0.00 mm and 12±0.5 mm respectively. In methanol extracts, E. coli. had the highest zone of inhibition (15±00 mm) followed by Staphylococcusaureus (12±0.00 mm) while K. pneumonia had no inhibition.  With Petroleum-ether, Staphylococcusaureus had the highest zone of inhibition (22±0.00 mm) followed by E. coli (0.13±0.00 mm) while K. pneumonia had no inhibition. It was clear that C. papaya had antimicrobial activity but varied with organism and extraction solvent. Therefore, for development of drugs, different extraction solvent and bacteria must be used in order to develop effective and tailored made antimicrobials to curb the menace of antibiotics resistance.