Qualitative phytochemical screening, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of the leaf extracts of Diospyros philippinensis A.DC. (Ebenaceae)

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants for disease prevention and treatment is gaining recognition due to the various biologically active phytochemicals they produce. This study was conducted to assess the ability of the leaf extracts of Diospyros philippinensis A.DC., an endemic tree species in the Philippines for the presence of phytochemical constituents and was examined for potential bioactivities by employing several assays like Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, DPPH Assay and MTT assay for antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of the extracts respectively. Phytochemical test results revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, quinones, cardiac glycosides, phlobatannins, carbohydrate, cardenolides and proteins. The leaf extracts were found to exhibit antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria and high antioxidant activity (99.22% ± 0.005) but no cytotoxicity effect was found against the selected cancer cell line. The study therefore concludes that D. philippinensis leaf extract can be a source of antibacterial and chemo preventive agents. This claim may be used as a basis for future investigation.