Antioxidant and Anti-microbial Activity Assessment of Methanol Extract of Garcinia cowa Leaves

Abstract

Bangladeshi local plant Garcinia cowa (cow tree) is an abundant source of bioactive phytochemicals. Phytochemical investigations of the plant parts indicated that the leaves best source of secondary metabolites, providing flavonoids, phloroglucinols and xanthones respectively. Seventy eight of these compounds have been identified from the plant and several have seen to posess different pharmacological activities. Garcinia cowa was screened for their anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activities . The part which was being evaluated for its activity was methanol extract of leaves. Methanol extracts of Garcinia cowa leaves exhibited strong anti-oxidant and antibacterial activities . First phyto-chemical test was carried out where methanol extract of leaves showed high content of flavonoid & tannins. DPPH scavenging activity test & total phenolic content test is rendered to monitor the inhibitory activity against oxidation. In DPPH scavenging activity test the IC50 or inhibitory concentration of the sample was obtained ( 28.30 μg/ml ) much more higher than the standard ( Ascorbic acid; IC50 was 1.8194 ) compound. This shows that the methanol extract of leaves have strong anti-oxidant property. Methanol extract of leaves also showed high total phenoilic content ( 223.1333 mg/g ) which indicates that leaf extract of this particular solvent (MeoH) has strong anti-oxidant property .Anti-microbial activity test was also carried out using methanol extract of leaves which showed different sized zone of inhibition for different strains of bacteria . The sensitive bacteria to this extract were Bacillus sereus, Bacillus megaterium , Salmonella typhi , Shigella dysenteriae .Pseudomonas aureaus where highest millimeters of zone of inhibition was formed.