Several herbs known to cure some ailments in Africa have not been scientifically evaluated for their phytochemical and antimicrobial properties, as a panacea for knowing the mechanisms of action of such herbs, in view of the current wave of microbial resistance to drugs. This study aims to screen the extracts of Ficus exasperata and Cida acuta for their effect on S. aureus (gram-positive bacterium) and E. coli (gram-negative bacterium). The crude extracts of F. exasperata and C. acuta were prepared using standard procedures, which involved soaking 20g of the powdered leaves in 80ml of 95% ethanol for 48hrs at room temperature, to allow for maximum extraction of active ingredients, followed by evaporation to retain the crude extract of each of the test plants. Parts of the extracts were screened phytochemically using standard methods, while the remaining parts of the extracts were used for the sensitivity test of the test organisms. The phytochemistry of the plants showed that F. exasperata contained high levels of tannins, flavonoids, and steroids and moderate levels of terpenes and anthraquinones. On the other hand, C. acuta contained high levels of alkaloids and flavonoids with moderate levels of saponins, tannins and cardiac glycosides, indicating that the two plants are of medicinal significance. It is inferred that the high content of alkaloids and moderate levels of saponins and tannins in C. acuta could have been responsible for the susceptibility of E. coli to it (zone of inhibition >21mm) as chloramphenicol (control). The levels of tannins, flavonoids and steroids with low levels of alkaloids make F. exasperata more effective against gram-positive S. aureus than gramnegative E. coli. S. aureus was very sensitive to F. exasperata (zone of inhibition >21) and resisted C. acuta (zone of inhibition<21mm). E. coli was observed to be 100% resistant to F. exasperata. It is conclude that C. acuta and F. exasperata are medicinal herbs of choice against E. coli diarrhoea and S. aureus infection, respectively
