Assessment of Microbiological Quality, Phytochemicals, Trace Elements and Proximate Analysis of Bio-Clean II Herbal Remedy

The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological quality, phytochemicals, trace elements and proximate analysis of Bio-Clean II. Samples of the herbal remedy were procured from the manufacturer and were analyzed using standard procedure of analysis including sterility test, Spectrophotometry, Atomic Absorption spectroscopy, and gravimetric method. All the batches of Bio-Clean II examined pass sterility test, as no single microbial colony was recovered from them. Physicochemical characterization of the herbal remedy was as follows: pH (6.86), temperature (25oC), relative density (1.08), conductivity (272uS/cm) and total dissolved solid (163mg/L). Phytochemical screening of the herbal remedy revealed the presence of the following bioactive secondary metabolites in varied quantity: resin (+), Flavonoids (+++), Saponins (+), Anthraquinones (+++), Tannin (++), Alkaloids (++) and Cardiac Glycoside (++); except for Steroids which was absent (-). Trace elements analysis revealed the presence of the following in varied quantity: Iron (2.526mg/L), Zinc (0.033mg/L) and Iodine (0.025mg/L), except for Copper and Cobalt which were absent. The results of the proximate analysis were as follows: % Moisture (54.25), % Carbohydrate (11.23), % Crude Protein (12.41), % Crude Fat (9.25), % Crude Fibre (10.65) and % Ash Content (2.21). The outcome of the study shows that all the samples of Bio-Clean II examined were of high microbiological quality and therefore poses no microbial threat to the safety of potential consumers; while the presence of appreciable quantities of some important phytochemical compounds and trace elements in the herbal remedy further underscores its medicinal benefits as earlier reported. KEY WORDS: _Herbal remedy, Safety, Active Compounds, Mineral Elements, Medicinal values_