Sanseviera liberica is used in Nigerian folk medicine for the treatment of asthma, abdominal pain, diarrhea, wounds of the foot, gonorrhea, snake bites etc. Some of these diseases are caused by pathogenic bacteria. To validate the trado-medical applications of S. liberica, an investigation of the phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of the methanol and n -hexane extracts was conducted. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugars and carbohydrates in both extracts. Alkaloids were present only in the methanol extract. Glycosides, terpenoids and steroids were absent in both extracts. The proximate analysis of S. liberica showed total ash value of 6.0 %, acid insoluble ash of 1.10 %, alcohol extractive value of 6.80 %, water extractive value of 5.20 % and moisture content of 14.50 %.The broth microdilution technique was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of both the methanol and n -hexane extracts of S. liberica. Results showed that Psuedomonas. aureginosa, Streptococci pyrognase and Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to the methanol extract while Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhii, Baccilus subtilis and Escherischia coli were not sensitive. All the eight microorganisms involved in the antimicrobial assay were not sensitive to the n-hexane extract. © JASEM http://dx

Background: The phytochemical screening and antidiabetic activities of the methanol leaf extract and fractions of Sansevieria liberica Ger. and Labr. were investigated.Objectives: To identify the phytoconstituents present and evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of the leaf of S. liberica Ger. and Labr.Material and Methods: A 1.2 g of the pulverized leaf was cold macerated in methanol to obtain 240 g of the crude extract (CE), fractionation was done using n-hexane, ethylacetate and butanol. The CE and the fractions were screened for phytochemical and antidiabetic analysis using standard procedures. Diabetes was induced by intraperitonial injection of alloxan. The blood glucose levels were analyzed as indices of diabetes.Results: After 24 hours, alloxan increased the blood glucose level of rats indicating hyperglycaemia. Treatment of the rats with the extract and fractions reduced the blood glucose level within 3 to 7 days of treatment. The standard antidiabetic, metformin (500 mg/kg) also showed similar effect. Extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg) of the crude extract decreased significantly (p<0.05) the blood glucose level. The antidiabetic potency of the extract and fractions were in the order of CE ˃ ethylacetate fraction > n-Hexane fraction > butanol fraction. The phytochemical screening of the extract and fractions revealed the presence of flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, glycosides etc.Conclusions: From the findings, S. liberica leaf posses antidiabetic activity which may be due to the phytochemical constituents present, and this justifies its use by local users as traditional remedy for diabetes mellitus.