Justicia secunda Vahl (Acanthaceae); Antibacterial and Antisickling Potential

African traditional healers frequently utilize the Acanthaceae plant Justicia secunda Vahl for the treatment of various ailments, including sickle cell anemia. The primary objective of this study was to validate the assertions regarding the plant's antibacterial and antisickling properties. We explored the potential of utilizing whole and fractionated Justicia secunda leaves to prevent HbSS red blood cells from sickling when exposed to sodium metabisulphite. We conducted agar well diffusion tests to evaluate the efficacy of the Justicia secunda extract and fractions in inhibiting the growth of various bacteria; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus among. When comparing J. secunda extract and fractions to normal saline as a control, a notable amount of sickling inhibition was observed (P≤0.05). Furthermore, different levels of inhibition on the growth of K. pneumonia, S. aureus, B. subtilis, and E. coli were shown by the extract and fractions. The antisickling and antibacterial properties of J. secunda leaves suggest that they might be helpful in the treatment of sickle cell diseases.