Abstract
Objective: To estimate the in vitro total phenolics, flavonoids contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of various solvent extracts from the medicinal plant Physalis minima Linn.Methods: The crude bioactive were extracted from the dried powder of Physalis minima using methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and hexane solvents. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to determine the in vitro antioxidant capacity. The antimicrobial assay was done through agar well diffusion; minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using broth microdilution methods against the Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus).Results: TPC expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE) ranged from 60.27±1.73-151.25±2.50 mg GAE/g dry weight, and TFC expressed as quercetin equivalents (QE) ranged from 56.66±0.80-158.84±2.30 mg QE/g dry weight. Methanol extract showed the highest antioxidant activity followed by ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane extract and the IC50 values of methanol extract for scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals were 280.23±5.75-173.40±0.38µg/ml, respectively. All the extracts have shown potent antimicrobial activity for the zone of inhibition ranged from 9-35 mm; MICs and MBCs values ranged from 0.125-4.0 and 0.25-8.0 mg/ml, respectively towards tested pathogenic species.Conclusion: The comprehensive analysis of the present results demonstrated that Physalis minima possess high potential antioxidant properties which could be used as a viable source of natural antioxidants in treating infections caused by above-mentioned pathogens.
Highlights
Medicinal plants are plants that have at least one of their parts used for therapeutic purposes [1]
2,2 ́-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 2,4,6-tripyridyl-striazine (TPTZ), gallic acid, quercetin, butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), ascorbic acid, Mueller-Hinton agar and broth were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Chemicals (St Louis, MO, USA)
The leaf and stem mixture of the plant Physalis minima Linn were collected from the Eastern Ghats, Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India during March 2013, their identity was authenticated at Regional Agriculture Research Centre (RARC), Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India and a specimen has been preserved at departmental herbarium (Voucher number: AB#2059)
Summary
Medicinal plants are plants that have at least one of their parts (leaves, stem, barks or roots) used for therapeutic purposes [1]. The availability and relatively cheaper cost of medicinal plants make them more attractive as therapeutic agents when compared to modern medicine [2]. World plant biodiversity is the largest source of herbal medicine, and still, about 60-80% world population rely on plant-based medicines which are being used since the ancient ages as traditional health care system. Many active phytochemicals like flavonoids, terpenoids, vitamins and alkaloids, etc. Were found to be responsible for these activities. With the advance in phytochemical techniques, several active principles of many medicinal plants have been isolated and introduced as valuable drugs in the modern system of medicine [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
