https://www.journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/issue/feed 2026-06-03T10:43:52+00:00 Asian Journal of Research in Botany [email protected] Open Journal Systems <p><strong>Asian Journal of Research in Botany</strong> aims to publish high-quality papers (<a href="https://journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/general-guideline-for-authors">Click here for Types of paper</a>) in all aspects of Botany. By not excluding papers based on novelty, this journal facilitates the research and wishes to publish papers as long as they are technically correct and scientifically motivated. The journal also encourages the submission of useful reports of negative results. This is a quality controlled, OPEN peer-reviewed, open-access INTERNATIONAL journal.</p> <p>This is an open-access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.</p> https://www.journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/article/view/317 2026-05-30T09:34:40+00:00 Chukwuma, S. Anakwe [email protected] Arhogro, M. Ejovwoke Prohp, The Prophet

<p>Medicinal plants remain a vital source of bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential, particularly in regions where traditional medicine is widely practiced. This study aimed to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical composition of aqueous extracts of <em>Emilia sonchifolia</em> leaves, <em>Bridelia ferruginea</em> leaves, and <em>Rhizophora racemosa</em> stem bark in order to provide scientific evidence supporting their ethnomedicinal uses. Standard phytochemical screening methods were employed to identify major classes of secondary metabolites, while spectrophotometric and gravimetric techniques were used for quantitative determination of total phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and tannins. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of key phytochemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, carbohydrates, and proteins across the three plant species, with notable variations in their distribution. Quantitative results showed that <em>E. sonchifolia</em> possessed the highest levels of total phenolics (166.07 ± 1.88 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (287.18 ± 8.42 mg QE/g), indicating strong antioxidant potential. <em>R. racemosa</em> exhibited the highest concentrations of saponins (133.75 ± 1.34 mg/100 g), tannins (212.36 ± 3.40 mg GAE/g), and alkaloids (126.78 ± 1.39 mg AE/g), suggesting potent antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. <em>B. ferruginea</em> demonstrated moderate but balanced levels of phytochemicals, particularly alkaloids and carbohydrates, supporting its combined nutritional and medicinal relevance. Overall, the study highlights significant interspecies variation in phytochemical composition, which may influence the biological activities and therapeutic applications of these plants. The findings provide a scientific basis for their traditional uses and underscore their potential as sources of natural bioactive compounds. Further studies focusing on the isolation, characterization, and pharmacological evaluation of individual constituents are recommended to fully explore their medicinal potential.</p>

2026-05-30T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s). The licensee is the journal publisher. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://www.journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/article/view/318 2026-06-03T10:43:52+00:00 E. N. Akpan [email protected] G. Omosun H. I. Udo G. G. E. Osuagwu

<p><strong>Background:</strong> <em>Achyranthes aspera</em> is a traditionally important medicinal plant with documented antimicrobial properties, whose hydroethanolic leaf extract warrants phytochemical and antimicrobial evaluation to identify bioactive compounds and support its therapeutic applications.</p> <p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to identify the phytochemical constituents of the hydroethanolic leaf extract of <em>Achyranthes aspera</em> L. by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and to evaluate its in vitro antimicrobial activity against selected clinical pathogens.</p> <p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Fresh leaves of <em>A. aspera</em> were collected, shade-dried, and extracted using a hydroethanolic solvent system. GC–MS analysis was performed on a GCMS5975 instrument using an Agilent DB-5 capillary column, and compound identification was carried out by library matching against the NIST11 mass spectral database. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by the agar well-diffusion method against <em>Klebsiella</em> sp., <em>Proteus</em> sp., <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em>, and <em>Candida albicans</em>. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined by the broth dilution method.</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>GC–MS analysis revealed 20 phytoconstituents, dominated by 11-Octadecynoic acid, methyl ester (74.78%), followed by falcarinol (5.71%) and 7,10-hexadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (4.65%). Other pharmacologically relevant compounds included myricetin (0.78%), α-tocopheryl acetate (1.37%), phytol (0.69%), stearic acid (0.95%), and myristic acid (0.62%). The extract exhibited broad-spectrum, concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity. At 500 mg/mL, inhibition zones ranged from 27.7 mm (<em>Klebsiella</em> sp.) to 38.0 mm (<em>C. albicans</em>), surpassing the chloramphenicol control (28.0 mm) against several organisms. MIC values ranged from 25 mg/mL (<em>E. coli</em>) to 100 mg/mL (<em>Klebsiella</em> sp.).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The hydroethanolic leaf extract of <em>A. aspera</em> is rich in bioactive phytoconstituents, particularly fatty acid methyl esters, polyacetylenes, flavonoids, and vitamins. Its strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including exceptional antifungal potency against <em>C. albicans</em>, supports its ethnopharmacological use in treating infectious diseases and validates the plant as a candidate for further pharmacological investigation.</p>

2026-06-03T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s). The licensee is the journal publisher. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.