Therapeutic Importance of Extracts from Leaf and Bark of <i>Gymnacranthera farquhariana</i>

Abstract

Background: Gymnacranthera farquhariana (Hook. f. and Thomson) Warb. is one of the endangered tree taxon of the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hot-spot in peninsular India. Very few reports are available on biological applications of the bark, leaf and seed of this plant. Aim: The present work deals with the screening of methanol and aqueous extracts of G. farquhariana from leaf and bark for therapeutic importance. Methods: Anti-bacterial activities of extracts were carried out using two bacterial strains viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus through the agar well diffusion method. The antifungal activities by poison bait method using Aspergillus niger, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium solani. Each experimental parameter was conducted in triplicate. Results: The results showed that G. farquhariana bark and leaf extracts exhibited promising activities against bacteria. Antifungal activity also showed good inhibition activity. The extracts showed a good anti-diabetic potential in α-amylase inhibitory assay. Bark aqueous extract showed 54.79% inhibition for α- amylase inhibition assay at 250μL. The extract also showed good anti-inflammatory potential in the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) denaturation assay. Bark aqueous extract showed 83.9% inhibition for BSA denaturation assay at 100 μL. Conclusion: Both leaf and bark extracts of the plant showed good antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial activity. This is the first such in vitro report concerning G. farquhariana plant parts.