Abdulai Turay, Eugene BS Conteh, Senesie Kamara, Ishmael Abdulrahman Kamara, Denis Conteh and Abubakarr Jalloh

Background: Curcuma longa (turmeric) contains diverse secondary metabolites with reported antibacterial activity. Extraction solvent strongly influences yield, phytochemical spectrum and bioactivity (Hewlings & Kalman, 2017; Kocaadam and Şanlier, 2017; Fuloria et al., 2022; Prasad et al., 2014; Anand et al., 2021) ^{[5, 6, 2, 9, 1]}.

Objective: To determine extraction yields, qualitatively screen phytochemicals, and evaluate in‑vitro antibacterial activity of ethanol, petroleum ether, and aqueous extracts of Curcuma longa rhizomes.

Methods: Authenticated rhizomes were Soxhlet‑extracted with ethanol, petroleum ether and distilled water. Crude yields were recorded post‑evaporation. Qualitative tests screened for tannins, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, carbohydrates, anthraquinones, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., and Escherichia coli was assessed by agar‑well diffusion on Mueller-Hinton agar; ciprofloxacin (5 µg) and DMSO served as positive and negative controls.

Results: From 1,440 g powdered rhizome, total crude was 11.58 g (0.80%). By solvent: ethanol 4.25 g (0.89%), petroleum ether 3.80 g (0.79%), aqueous 3.53 g (0.74%). Ethanol extract displayed the broadest phytochemical profile. Zones of inhibition (mm): S. aureus 12.0 (ethanol), 9.0 (petroleum ether), 6.0 (aqueous); Klebsiella 10.0, 7.0, 5.0; E. coli 8.0, 6.0, 2.0; ciprofloxacin 17.5/18.0/14.5; DMSO 0.0.

Conclusion: Ethanol provided richer phytochemicals and stronger antibacterial activity than petroleum ether and water. Findings support quantitative phytochemistry and MIC/MBC confirmation to progress standardized antimicrobial preparations.

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