PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Semecarpus prainii King. LEAF EXTRACTS

In the present study, Semecarpus prainii leaf extract was subjected for phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, antimicrobial activity in petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of all the constituents in ethanol extract except saponins. Among the tested phytochemicals, saponins, anthroquinones, glycosides were absent in chloroform and petroleum ether extract, oils and fats were absent in chloroform extract but present in petroleum ether extract. The results of antimicrobial activity showed that S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli, Klebsiella sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to all extracts tested. Ethanol extract showed maximum inhibiton zone against M. luteus (12.7 mm), Shigella sp. (12.3 mm) and E. faecalis (14.5 mm) which was almost equal to standard antibiotic used. Antioxidant activity of leaf extracts were evaluated by different methods like total phenolic assay, total antioxidant assay, reducing power assay, DPPH assay, ABTS and nitric oxide scavenging activity. All the tested methods showed significant results. The total phenolic content of petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts was found to be 47.69, 98.69 and 118.36 mg-g gallic acid equivalent, respectively. The ethanol extract showed significant total antioxidant activity of 501 µg of GAE followed by chloroform (292 µg of GAE) and petroleum ether extract (84 µg of GAE). Reducing power assay of the tested plant was in order of ethanol > chloroform > petroleum ether. The ethanol extract showed maximum absorbance of 2.88 at 1000 µg-mL concentration tested. The DPPH, ABTS and nitric oxide assay of petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts were expressed by radical scavenging activity (%), the obtained results showed ethanol extract was more potential than petroleum ether and chloroform. These experimental findings would further establish the scientific basis for the traditional knowledge to use plants for control of different diseases.