Abstract

The dried powdered rhizomes of Anchomanes difformis, Family-Araceae, was extracted exhaustively with methanol. The dried methanol extract was extracted with water and the aqueous solution was treated with chloroform to obtain aqueous and chloroform extracts. The residue from aqueous extraction was dissolved in petroleum ether to give petroleum ether extracts. The extracts (aqueous, chloroform and petroleum ether) were screened for antimicrobial activity. The chloroform extract was fractionated using preparative TLC, (coated with silica gel 245 HF) and developed with ethylacetate : isopropanol : ammonia (10:8:2), to obtain seven fractions (S1and S1). The chemical class of each fraction was identified and screened for antimicrobial activity. The chemical class of the fractions were identified as steroidal glycosides (S6-S7), saponins (S1 and S5), alkaloid (S3) and amines (S2 and S4). The steroidal glycosides S6 and S7 showed a antimicrobial activity.