Bioactivities of some savanna plants in the brine shrimp lethality test and in vitro antimicrobial assay

Plants from 20 families were selected on the basis of a literature survey and uses in Hausa folk medicine. Samples were extracted, fractionated and screened for bioactivity against the brine shrimp larvae and 8 microbial pathogens that best reflect the medical needs of Hausawa in northern Nigeria. The co-occurrence of lethality to brine shrimp larvae and selective antimicrobial activity in the extracts of Annona squamosa L. (Annonaceae), Calotropis procera Ait. (Asclepiadaceae), Trianthema pentandra L. (Aizoaceae) and Tephrosia purpurea L. Pen. (Papilionaceae) is noteworthy.