SCREENING FOR ANTIMICROBIAL, PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROFILE OF SOME WILD FRUITS AND SEEDS IN CANAANLAND, OTA
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The spread of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic microorganisms has rendered most conventional drugs redundant. New sources of antimicrobial agents are being harnessed to develop novel drugs. Wild plants are veritable sources of bioactive compounds that may act as
alternatives to antibiotics in treatment of infections caused by resistant microorganisms. Plants also possess natural antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative stress. This study was carried out to determine the antibacterial, phytochemical and antioxidant profiles of some wild plants in Canaan land, Ota, Ogun state, Nigeria. The antibacterial activity of the aqueous
and ethanol extracts of twenty fruits and seeds were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus,
Salmonella typhii, Pseudomonas aeruginiosa and Escherichia coli. Broad spectrum antibacterial activity was shown by extracts of six plants namely Caryota mitis, Cassia javanica, Syzygium samarangense, Veitchia merrilli, Bauhinia tomentosa and Cassia fistula
with inhibition zones ranging from 20±0.8 to 25±0.1 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts to the isolates was between 7.8 to 31.2mg/ml and minimum
bactericidal concentration between 15.6 and 62.5mg/ml. Flavonoids, phenolic compounds, saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids and glycosides were observed qualitatively. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was evaluated using total antioxidant capacity and reducing power
assays. Effective antioxidant activity did not vary considerably. C. mitis had a total antioxidant capacity of 34.89mg/100g. Free radical scavenging capacity was evaluated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays. The highest radical
scavenging activity was observed in B. tomentosa and C. fistula with IC50 values of 41.12μg/ml and 36.57μg/ml respectively. High phenol and flavonoid contents significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacity. The presence of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in these wild fruits and seeds opens up a new perspective in biotherapeutic research as they could be harnessed as alternative drugs for treatment of microbial infections and management of chronic diseases.
Keywords
Q Science (General), QH301 Biology