307EVALUATION OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA, CARICA PAPAYA AND CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS) IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIAThis study aimed at evaluating the phytochemical and antimicrobial activities of three selected medicinal plants in Benue State, Nigeria. The bioactive components in the leaves of guava (Psidium Guajava), Pawpaw (Carica Papaya) and Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) were extracted using organic solvent (methanol) and tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenase, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri. The methanolic extracts of the three plants inhibited the growth of tested microbes at different MICs and MCBs. P. guajava methanolic extract was the most effective of the three extracts which demonstrated the highest activities against all the gram positive and negative bacteria followed by C. papaya and Cymbopogon citratus. Hence, this suggests the medicinal uses of the plants against pneumonia, wound infections, typhoid fever, gastro intestinal infections, urethritis and shigellosis, all of which are caused by the microbes investigated in this study.celeaguoru@yahoo.comResearch592015Psidium guajava,Carica papaya,Cymbopogon citratus,Extract,Antimicrobial activitiesC.U. Aguoru,N. Inda, J.O. OlasanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Botany Unit, University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Nigeria.,Department of Biological Sciences, Botany Unit, University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Nigeria.,Department of Biological Sciences, Botany Unit, University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Nigeria.