Solvent Extracts Of Bark Research Articles

Fahrenheitia zeylanica (Thw.) Airy is a lofty evergreen tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. The present study was conducted to evaluate antibacterial and antioxidant activity of solvent extracts of leaves of F. zeylanica. The powdered leaf material was sequentially extracted using ethyl acetate, chloroform and methanol based on polarity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated by Folin-Ciocalteau and Aluminiumchloride colorimetric estimation method respectively. Antibacterial activity of solvent extracts was assessed by agar well diffusion method against a panel of nine bacteria. Antioxidant efficacy of solvent extracts was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging and Ferric reducing assay. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of bark and chloroform extract of leaf contained high phenolic and flavonoid contents. Solvent extracts of bark were more effective in inhibiting test bacteria than leaf extracts. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were inhibited to maximum extent among Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria respectively. Methanol extracts of leaf and bark scavenged DPPH (with IC50 value of 2.02 and 1.17ìg/ml respectively) and ABTS (with IC50 value of 20.89 and 3.42ìg/ml respectively) radicals to high extent followed by ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. The reducing ability was recorded highest in methanol extracts followed by ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. Bark extracts have shown stronger scavenging and reducing power than leaf extracts. A positive correlation was observed between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of extracts. The solvent extracts of bark and leaf of F. zeylanica have shown antibacterial and antioxidant activity which may be attributed to the phytochemicals present in them. The plant can be used as a remedy for treatment of infectious diseases and oxidative stress due to free radical formation. Further, separation of bioactive compounds and determination of their biological activities are under progress.