The Antioxidant Potentials and Phytochemical Properties of the Hexane, Ethyl acetate and Ethanolic Extracts of Securinega virosa (Euphorbiaceae) Leaves.

The study was undertaken to evaluate the phytochemical properties and antioxidant potentials of hexane, ethylacetate and ethanolic leaf extracts of Securinega virosa. The phytochemical screening was carried out by standard procedures, while the antioxidant activity of the extracts were measured in terms of hydrogen donation or radical scavenging ability using the stable radical,1,1-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH).The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids and Balsams in hexane extract.Phenols, carbohydrates and Balsams in ethyl acetate extract.Tannins, saponins, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates and cardenolide in ethanolic extract. The hexane, ethylacetate and ethanolic leaf extracts of Securinega virosa have very good antioxidant activities, with ethanolic extract having the best activity. The activities may be due to the presence of flavonoids and phenols. The leaf extracts of Securinega virosa have high antioxidant activities, with the ethanolic extract having the greatest antioxidant activity than the hexane and ethyl acetate extracts.

Comparative study on the Antimicrobial activities of the Ethanolic extracts of Lemon grass and Polyalthia Longifolia.

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Lemon grass and Polyalthia Longifolia were subjected to antibacterial activity study. The study indicated that the extract of the leaves of Lemon grass was very active against Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus at 25mg/ml but has no activity with Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli at the same concentration. The extract of Polyalthia Longifolia leaves was very active against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus at 25mg/ml but has no activity with Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli at the same concentration. The extracts when combined together can act synergistically with one another against Staphylococcus aureus, where one extract can potentiate the activity of another extract against Staphylococcus aureus.The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the crude extracts were determined for the various organisms which ranged between 0.01 and 2.5mg/ml,while the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged between 0.02 and 2.5mg/ml.