Xylopia aethiopica is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine as a spice and for the treatment of ailments such as diarrhoea. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the methanol seed pod extract of X. aethiopica using the agar diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were determined using standard agar dilution techniques. Five clinical isolates—Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Trichophyton tonsurans—were obtained from the University of Uyo Health Center and used for the analysis. The crude extract and its fractions exhibited varying degrees of antimicrobial activity, with more pronounced effects against fungal isolates, even at low concentrations. The crude extract demonstrated broad-spectrum antifungal activity at concentrations ranging from 12.5 ± 0.02 to 100 ± 0.01 mg/mL, producing inhibition zones against all tested fungal organisms, while antibacterial activity was comparatively limited. Among the fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi, respectively, at 200 ± 0.01 mg/mL. The butanol fraction showed the strongest fungicidal activity, with an MFC of 3.125 ± 0.02 mg/mL. The MBC/MIC and MFC/MIC ratios ranged from 1 to 4, indicating true bactericidal and fungicidal effects. These findings suggest that X. aethiopica possesses promising antifungal potential, and further studies are recommended to investigate its therapeutic applications and safety profile in the management of fungal infections.
