Antimicrobial activities, phytochemical and antioxidant analyses of Phyllanthus mullerianus (KUNTZ) Exell methanol and aqueous leaf extracts

Abstract

The development of resistance in many microorganisms to synthetic drugs, inability of these synthetic drugs to provide cure for some diseases and infections calls for serious attention. Due to this development, the antimicrobial activity, preliminary phytochemical analysis and antioxidant properties of aqueous and methanol leaf extracts of Phyllanthusmuellerianus was studied. Well in agar diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial test. Chemical methods wasused to preliminarily screen for phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant quality. The aqueous leaf extract possessed higher antibacterial potency (14.0±0.16–37.3±0.03 mm) on the test bacteria species than the commercial antibiotics (6.2±0.5–20.8±0.3 mm) and antifungal (6.5±0.07-17.7±0.4 mm). Methanol extract only inhibited Candida krusei with zone of 4.5±0.3 mm. In both the qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals screened, aqueous extract was of higher yield than methanol extract. The antioxidant of the leaf extract in free radical scavenging(DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity were higher in aqueous extract than methanol extract while ferric reducing antioxidant was only more in methanol extract. As valuableantimicrobial potential, phytochemical constituents and antioxidant properties were exhibited by P. muellerianus leaf extract, it may enhance a large segment of the world population to rely upon the use of the plant as alternative medicine for healing of the many microbial disease origins that plaque aroundthe world.