Abstract

Capsicum fructescens is a variety of Capsicum with much nutritional and therapeutic usefulness. This study is aimed at investigating the antimicrobial, chemical and biochemical properties of C. fructescens. The biochemical, mineral and phytochemical analyses of the extract were carried out using standard methods. The organic contents of the extracts were determined by GCMS to identify its bioactive constituents which were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activities against 7 bacterial and 3 fungal isolates using disc-diffusion method. The biochemical analysis showed that the leaves were high in protein, fibre, carbohydrate and fat. Different mineral elements were detected in the leaves and they include Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Sodium, Copper, Potassium, Zinc and Manganese. GC-MS revealed 13 different organic compounds belonging to four groups of chemicals namely alkanol, alkanoic acid, alkanoate and ester. The methanolic extracts of C. fructescens leaves at a dose range of 5 and 25 mg/ml showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity on some test organisms. The presence of great quantity of dodecanoic acid among other compounds in the extract of bawa suggested the reason for its profound anti-staphylococcal and anti-candidal activities. This study concluded that C. fructescens foliar extract is rich in important chemical and biochemical metabolites which have shown some therapeutic properties. An advocacy in the higher consumption of these peppers among folks is hereby recommended.

Key words: Capsicum fructescens extracts, chemicals and biochemical composition, antimicrobial activity.