ISSN 2169-303X
International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN 2169-303X Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-004, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Phytochemical Profiling and Antibacterial Efficacy of Cucurbita pepo and Brassica nigra Seed Oils
R. K. Obi1*, F. C. Nwanebu1, U. U. Ndubuisi2 and N. M. Orji3
1Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, P. M. B. 1526, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
2Department of Microbiology, University of Uyo, P.M.B. 1017, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
3Department of Biological Sciences, Anambra State University, Uli, P. O. Box 02, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Accepted 15 November, 2025
The oils of 2 seeds, Brassica nigra (black mustard) and Curcubita pepo (flutted pumpkin) obtained from St. Paul’s catholic church, Owerri and Ihiagwa market respectively, were extracted using the Soxhlet extractor. The antibacterial activities of the extracted oils on 2 fresh hospital isolates, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherischia coli were determined using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method of sensitivity testing. Results obtained showed that the oil from C. pepo produced a higher zone of inhibition of 60% on S. aureus which is higher than that of the oil of B. nigra with a zone of inhibition of 40%. However, these 2 oil extracts showed similar inhibitory effects on E. coli. Results of phytochemical analyses of the extracts reveal that the oil from C. pepo contains tannins, flavonoids, saponins, cyanogenic glycosides and cardiac glycosides, while the oil from B. nigra consists of tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids. These seeds, apart from their roles as food additives and supplements, they may also be utilized as effective and cheap sources of antibacterial agents for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Key words: Oil, Escherischia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, antibacterial, Curcubita pepo, Brassica nigra.