Abstract
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS LEAVES EXTRACT OF OLIVE LEAVES (OLEA EUROPAEA)
*Yanah Y M1, Elinge C.M2 ,1Ibrahim Sani, 1R Samuel, 1Abdullahi Hannatu Popo

1Department of Biochemistry, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Kebbi State Nigeria. yaksyanah@gmail.com
2Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Kebbi State Nigeria.Sermgomoh@gmail.com

Plants donate extensively towards making the earth habitable for both human being and animals. Human beings have been known to employ the use of plants for therapeutic purposes. Based on latest research findings, it is believed that that plant extracts in crude form has for long been employed in the treatment of certain human diseases. The leaves of O.europaea were collected from Aliero Area in Kebbi State Nigeria. The leaves were washed with clean tap water and dried at room temperature for three weeks before being pulverized into powdered form prior to extraction. The phytochemical screening conducted tested positive for alkaloids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, volatile oils and steroids. The effect of the aqueous extract on some bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, klebsielia oxytoca and Escherichia coli revealed that the plant can be a useful tool in the fight against bacterial infections covering nearly the entire organism with the zone of inhibition at 20.5mm, 19.5mm and 22.0mm respectively at 90mg concentration as against the control drug which had 21.0mm respectively for all organisms at 90mg. This confirms the use of this plant as remedy or as a treatment for certain disease and infections.

Key words: antimicrobial, phytochemical, activity, olive, screening.