Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Dried Fruit Rind of Garcinia gummi-gutta

Abstract

Garcinia gummi-gutta is an evergreen medium sized tree of the family Clusiaceae with remarkable traditional value which has been indicated for the treatment of bowel complaints, rheumatism, intestinal parasites and also as a culinary and preservative agent for fish preparations in Southern India and Srilanka. The extract of dried fruit rind of Garcinia gummi-gutta obtained through Soxhlet extraction using ethanol was subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis along with in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity against common food borne pathogens. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the rind extract of the plant showed the presence of phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, steroids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, diterpenes and triterpenes. The plant extracts were evaluated for the antimicrobial activity by in vitro agar well-diffusion at a dose rate of 5mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 15mg/ml against the microbial strains namely Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenus and Salmonella tymphimurium. The results of the antimicrobial activity showed effective inhibitory activity against all the tested organisms in a dose dependant manner.