Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Studies on Celtis Timorensis Leaf Extract

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present investigation is to study the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, methanol and water extracts of the leaf part of Celtis timorensis Spr. The preliminary phytochemical studies were conducted according to standard procedures. Total phenolic content was estimated using the FCA reagent method. The antioxidant efficiency of extracts was evaluated by using molybdate and DPPH methods. The antibacterial potency of leaf extracts was studied using the disc diffusion method against eight human pathogenic bacterial strains. Results: The results of preliminary phytochemical study revealed the presence of alkaloids, phytosterols, phenolic components, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides and saponins. The total phenolic content of the tested extracts exhibited a range between 8.82 to 68.32 mg GAE/g dwt. The highest total phenolic content was observed in the methanol extract (68.32±1.03 mg GAE/g dwt.) and the highest total antioxidant capacity was observed in the methanol extract of leaf part (700.0±0.71 mg ASE/g dwt.).Regarding DPPH scavenging activity the highest DPPH-reducing activity (>90%) was observed by methanol, ethanol and water extracts of the leaf part. Ethanol and water extracts of leaf samples strongly inhibited the gram-negative bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica (13 mm for each species) respectively. While gram-positive species i.e. Bacillus megatherium Artherobacter protophormiae and P. aeruginosa were moderately inhibited by chloroform, ethanol and water extracts (12 mm for each) respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the selected medicinal plant C. timorensis extracts exhibited good antioxidant activity, strong antibacterial activity and rich bioactive components. It required further studies on the isolation, and characterization of active principle to evaluate its pharmacological properties.