Phytochemical Profiling, Antimicrobial Activity, and Bioactive Compound Identification of Gongronema Latifolium (Utazi) Leaf Extracts: Phytochemical Profiling, Antimicrobial Activity, and Bioactive Compound Identification of Gongronema Latifolium (Utazi)

Ruth Uwenyi Inaku; Anthony Ugbaja Uduak; Ntui Ntui Tabe; Peter Amba Neji

doi:10.67254/zgeadr43

Authors

Ruth Uwenyi Inaku University of Cross River State, Nigeria Author
Anthony Ugbaja Uduak Author

Competing Interests

No conflict of interest
Ntui Ntui Tabe Author

Competing Interests

No conflict of interest
Peter Amba Neji Author

Competing Interests

No conflict of interest

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67254/zgeadr43

Keywords:

Gongronema latifolium; Physicochemical characterisation; antimicrobial activity; Biochemical Methods

Abstract

Gongronema latifolium (Utazi) is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional African medicine for the management of various infectious and metabolic diseases. Despite its extensive ethnomedicinal use, comprehensive information on its physicochemical characteristics, phytochemical composition and pharmaceutical potential remains limited. This study evaluated the physicochemical properties, phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial activity, and chemical profile of Gongronema latifolium leaf extracts using standard analytical techniques. Fresh leaves of Gongronema latifolium were subjected to proximate and mineral analysis following Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods. Phytochemical screening was performed using qualitative and quantitative procedures, while bioactive constituents were fractionated by column chromatography. The antimicrobial activities of the flavonoid, saponin, and tannin fractions were evaluated against selected bacterial and fungal isolates using the agar well diffusion method. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed to identify bioactive compounds and functional groups present in the extracts. The Proximate analysis revealed moisture, ash, lipid, crude fibre, protein, and carbohydrate contents of 51.15⁺ 1.87, 8.97⁺0.46, 11.45⁺0.97, 4.28⁺ 0.15, 6.24+0.07 and 17.9⁺ 1.00, respectively. Iron was the predominant mineral (6.99⁺ 0.75), whereas cadmium occurred at the lowest concentration (0.06⁺ 0.04). Phytochemical analysis demonstrated abundant levels of alkaloids and flavonoids, moderate amounts of Saponins and oxalates, and trace levels of tannins, phenols, terpenoids, phytates, cyanides, reducing sugars, and phlobatannins. The flavonoid-rich ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zones of 54.98mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 50.06 mm against Candida albicans, and 50.03 mm against Bacillus spp., 48.00mm against identified quercetin, catechin, oleic acid, phytol, camphor, resorcinol, fumaric acid, phenylcyanamide, anisole, and triacontane as major bioactive constituents, while FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of hydroxyl aromatic and ester functional groups. These findings demonstrate that Gongronema latifolium is a rich source of nutritionally valuable and pharmacologically active phytochemicals. The pronounced antimicrobial activity of the flavonoid fraction supports the traditional medicinal use of the plant and highlights its potential as a promising candidate for the development of novel pharmaceutical products.

Author Biographies

Anthony Ugbaja Uduak

Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Ntui Ntui Tabe

Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of Cross River, Calabar, Nigeria
Peter Amba Neji

²Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of Cross River, Calabar, Nigeria

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**Phytochemical Profiling, Antimicrobial Activity, and Bioactive Compound Identification of Gongronema Latifolium (Utazi) Leaf Extracts**