Biological and Phytochemicals Properties of Monotheca buxifolia: An Unexplored Medicinal Plant

Abstract

Medicinal plants play essential role in improving the human health due to the presence of bioactive constituents. Monotheca buxifolia (family Sapotaceae) leaves and fruit ethanol extracts and their fractions were subjected to biological screening for antioxidant activities. The fractions of M. buxifolia fruit extract showed better DPPH radical scavenging activity (up to 81.5% for ethyl acetate fraction) than the leaf extract and its fractions. Aqueous and hexane fractions of the leaf extract showed highest values of total antioxidant potential and total reducing power potential (388.6 ± 1.51 and 31.05 μg AAE/mg, respectively). Ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf extract contained maximum amount of phenolics (72 ± 0.41 μg GAE/mg) and flavonoids (82.59 ± 0.14 μg QE/mg). Antibacterial activity was not observed for many fractions, except a few showing minor activity against different bacterial strains. Cytotoxicity assay showed that the aqueous fraction of leaf extract had minimum cytotoxic potential with median lethal concentration (LC50) of 61.51 μg/mL. Phytotoxic behavior was checked against Trifolium protense and Brassica napus seeds. The plant possessed potent phytotoxic behavior against both plant seedlings growth. On the basis of in vitro screening, it can be suggested that M. buxifolia possesses antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and phytotoxic properties, which might be due to the presence of bioactive compounds. Further studies are required to isolate the major bioactive constituents and to verify both in vitro and in vivo assays.