PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES, AND ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY OF ALBIZIA ANTUNESIANA HARMS: A ZIMBABWEAN MEDICINAL PLANT TRADITIONALLY USED AGAINST INFECTIONS AND INFLAMMATION

For many generations in Zimbabwe, Albizia antunesiana tree has been used in traditional healing. It has been widely used to treat infections, inflammation and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes. This study sought to provide scientific evidence to this ancient wisdom by testing the bark and leaves against modern biological markers. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of bioactive compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins, which are natural compounds that the tree uses to protect itself and that we can use to improve human health. In the laboratory, the lyophilized extracts successfully hindered the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of 40 and 20 mg/mL respectively. It also exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity. By testing its ability to prevent protein denaturation, it was found that the extract reached its peak protective effectiveness at a concentration of 500 µg/mL, performing comparably to diclofenac sodium. Most importantly safety trials in animal models confirmed that at doses of 5000 mg/kg, the extract remained practically non-toxic. These findings validate the plant as a potential candidate for developing new therapies to manage both infection and pain.