PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF LEAVES EXTRACT OF MUNTINGIA CALABURA

Abstract

Medicinal plants have bioactive compounds which are used for cure of various human diseases and also play an important role in healing. Muntingia calabura L. (M. calabura, Elaeocarpaceae) has been traditionally used to relieve various painrelated ailments. The aim of the present study was to examine leaves of M. calabura for phytochemical profile. The dried leaves of M. calabura were successively extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol solvents by soxhletion method and solvents from extracts was evaporated under vacuum. Qualitative analysis of various phytochemical constituents and quantitative analysis of total phenolic, flavonoids and alkaloid content were determined by the well-known test protocol available in the literature. The in vitro antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate and methanolic extract of the leaves was assessed against DPPH, NO, H2O2 assay method using standard protocols. The preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents in each extract. To analyze the antimicrobial activity, ethyl acetate extract of M. calabura was tested by a well diffusion method against three selected strains which showed significant inhibitory action against all the tested strains. The present study concluded that the crude extract of M. calabura is a rich source of secondary phytoconstituents which impart significant antioxidant potential. The findings of the present study will be helpful to phytochemists, pharmacologists and pharmaceutical industries.