Antibacterial, phytochemical and heavy metal analysis of selected aphrodisiac herbal bitters marketed in Ile-Ife metropolis, Osun State, Nigeria

The consumption of aphrodisiac herbal bitters has become a social practice in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This study aimed at investigating selected aphrodisiac herbal bitters for microbial quality, antibacterial activity, phytochemical and heavy metal composition. Microbial quality of twenty-five selected herbal bitters was determined using the drop plate technique. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis were determined using the broth microdilution method. Preliminary phytochemical analysis was done using standard laboratory methods and heavy metal analysis of the selected bitters was done using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). All the herbal bitters investigated were free of microbial contaminant and they exhibited activity against all the typed bacteria strains used with MIC range of 50 and 3.125mg/mL. The phytoconstituents include tannins, saponins, alkaloids, phenol, coumarins, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids. Moreover, out of the 25 selected bitters evaluated, 10, 14 and 16 of them contain chromium, cadmium and lead above WHO permissible levels, respectively. The study concluded that some herbal bitters do possess antibacterial activity aside the advertised therapeutic effect(s) while their irrational consumption can expose the consumers to health–related issues due to the presence of heavy metals.