PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT AND MINERAL COMPOSITIONS OF Tamarindus indica (Fabaceae)
Shafii Musa Abubakar, Dadi Nancwat, and Zwalchir Hassimu Japhet
Department of Chemical Sciences, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State
Tamarindus indica L. (Fabaceae) is a wide medicinal tree from tropical and subtropical regions, commonly used as local treatment of various diseases. This experimental study analysis the phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity and essential mineral content of Tamarindus indica fruit pulp, leaves and stem bark collected from Kangi area of Bida Niger State, Nigeria. Qualitative phytochemical analysis showed abundant flavonoids, tannins and phenolics, precisely in stem bark and fruit pulp, while in addition terpenoids, saponin and alkaloids, were positive across all part of the plant. The quantitative screening indicated high total phenolic content (TPC) in fruit pulp (112.5 ± 2.2 mg GAE/g) with moderate total flavonoid content (TFC). Antioxidant screening (ABTS and DPPH) showed strong radical scavenging by fruit extracts (DPPH IC50 = 26.3 ± 1.6 µg/ml). Antimicrobial screening using agar diffusion and broth microdilution indicated broad-spectrum activity, with fruit methanolic extract exhibiting zones of inhibition up to 21.4 ± 0.6 mm and MICs as low as 0.525 mg/ml for certain bacteria. Mineral analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry revealed significant levels of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, justifying the nutritional benefit of the plant. These results justify the ethnomedicinal uses of tamarind for gastrointestinal and infectious diseases and validate its potential as a source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical importance. Further work should include Isolation of bioactive compounds, toxicity evaluation and controllable cultivation practices.