ABSTRACT
The application of medicinal plants has yielded numerous natural solutions for treating and managing diseases in both humans and livestock. This research evaluated the antimicrobial properties, proximate composition, and mineral content of the aqueous and methanol extract of Jatropha tanjorensis. The leaves of Jatropha tanjorensis were dried and ground. The aqueous and methanol extract of Jatropha tanjorensis were obtained through maceration method. The proximate analysis carried out on the methanol extract of Jatropha tangorensis revealed values for the respective parameters such as Moisture Content (27.408mg/kg), Ash Content (12.315 mg/kg), Crude Fat (5.337mg/kg), Crude Fiber (0.127mg/kg), Crude Protein (15.414mg/kg), Carbohydrate (66.470mg/kg), The proximate analysis on aqueous extract of Jatropha tanjorensis include Moisture Content (9.668mg/kg), Ash Content (5.877mg/kg), Crude Fat (1.753mg/kg), Crude Fiber (0.125mg/kg), Crude Protein (14.181mg/kg), Carbohydrate (77.733mg/kg). Mineral content carried out for aqueous extract revealed value which include, Sodium (Na) (12.819mg/kg), potassium (k) (16.337mg/kg), calcium (ca) (14.844mg/kg), Magnesium (mg) (40.656mg/kg), Phosphorus (p) (12.827mg/kg), Iron (8.300mg/kg), Nitrogen (2293.000mg/kg), mineral content carried out on the methanol extract, Sodium (Na) (14.663mg/kg), potassium (k) (12.253mg/kg), calcium(ca) (16.284mg/kg), Magnesium(mg) (57.573mg/kg), Phosphorus (p) (11.793mg/kg), Iron (8.300mg/kg), Nitrogen (24033.333mg/kg). Antimicrobial analysis carried out revealed zone of inhibition for the following organism, Escherichia coli (18), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19), Bacillus subtilis (19), Staphylococcus aureus (20), Klebsiella spp (NZ), Candida albican (NZ), Penicillium nutatum (NZ), Aspergillus niger (NZ), The aqueous extract showed no zone of inhibition. The antimicrobial tests demonstrated strong antibacterial properties for the methanol extract. The findings indicate that Jatropha tanjorensis possesses considerable mineral and proximate content, supporting its potential as a medicinal for addressing health issues.
