A Guide on Ethnopharmacology: a Case Study on Antimicrobial Activity, Toxicity and Chemical Characterisation of Indigofera Lupatana Baker F.

Indigofera lupatana Baker F. (locally known as Mugiti) has been used to treat cough, diarrhea, pleurisy and gonorrhea. These and other infectious diseases are a cause of morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. Their effects are further aggravated by drug resistance. There is also increased emergence and re-emergence of infections from previously harmless micro-organisms, as part of nosocomial and opportunistic infections. This calls for search of new drugs that will mitigate these problems. Indigenous plants are promising as a cheap alternative source of new therapeutic agents. Although the use of phytomedicine has been in practice for long, little has been done to evaluate their effectiveness, safety, target organisms and also their chemical characterization. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity, toxicity and phytochemical screening of root extracts of Indigofera lupatana Baker F. Powdered sample of I. lupatana Baker F. roots were sequentially extracted using hexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and methanol solvents. The resultant fractions were subjected to anti-bacterial, phytochemical tests and brine shrimp toxicity bioassay.