Determination of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of leaf extracts of Plumbago zeylanica (Amira)

Abstract

Traditionally, the leaves of Plumbago Zeylanica were used for the treatment of several diseases. Herein, we report phytochemical analysis, total flavonoid and phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activities of the leaf extracts of the plant. The phytochemical analysis test of the extracts showed the presence of biologically important compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and glycosides. Moreover, the total flavonoid content of 69.566, 66.966, and 59.133 mgQE/100 g was obtained from methanol, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether extracts respectively. And the total phenolic content of methanol, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether extracts were 82.738, 69.784, and 51.630 mgGAE/g dry samples. The extracts have promising antioxidant and antibacterial activity against S.aureus (Staphylococcus aureus), S. pyogens (Streptococcus pyogens), E. coli (Escherichia coli), and K. peneumona (Klebsiella pneumonia). The high antibacterial and antioxidant activity was found for methanol extract of the leaf extract of P. Zeylanica is attributing to the presence of polar phytochemicals such as; flavonoids, phenolic, and glycosidic groups in the crude extract obtained from maceration of polar solvents.

Keywords:

• Plumbago Zeylanica
• Flavonoid content
• total phenolic content
• antioxidant activity
• antibacterial activity
• phytochemical analysis

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

An increase in the number of multi-drug resistant pathogens and cellular-based diseases is fast becoming a global concern. Thus, the discovery of novel active compounds against new targets is a matter of urgency. Medicinal plants have been utilized for thousands of years to treat various ailments and physical damages throughout the world, especially, in different parts of Ethiopia. In an attempt to modernize traditional way of using medicinal plants, researchers had paid much attention on isolating different kinds of bioactive compounds, which are highly potent from leaf, stem, stem-bark, root, seed, and fruit of herbal traditional plants. Therefore, qualitative phytochemical screening, quantitative phytochemical evaluation, structural elucidation, and determination of antioxidant and antibacterial activity of plant extracts obtained by different solvent systems. This helps us to introduce new potential drugs obtained from various parts of traditional herbs.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Bahir Dar University and Ministry of Education, Ethiopia for financial support to do this research.

Consent for publication

All authors consent to the publication.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All authors declare that they have ethics approval and consent to participate.

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Source: Author.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have no funding to report.

Notes on contributors

Belete B. Beyene

Belete B. Beyene (Ph.D.) is a full-time associate professor of organic chemistry at the department of chemistry, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. He received B.Ed. in chemistry from Bahir Dar University, M.Sc. in organic chemistry from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and Ph.D. in Chemistry from National Tsing Hua University in Tiwan (ROC). His research group is composed of some staff members of Bahir Dar University and postgraduate students. He also has research collaboration with professor from institute of chemistry Academia Sinica, Taiwan. Belete’s research group works in the development of metal complexes of organic ligands (mainly porphyrins) as efficient catalysts and potential antimicrobials. Furthermore, the group is working in the synthesis of organic ligands for environmental applications, such as ion sensing as well as phytochemical investigation and antimicrobial activity study of medicinal plants. Dr. Belete B. Beyene has authored/coauthored more than 26 peer-reviewed articles encompassing original research papers, a review article, and a book review.