Phytochemical contents, antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of Solanum sisymbriifolium.

The present study was aimed at screening the phytochemical contents, antimicrobial and antioxidative activities from the aerial parts of Solanum sisymbriifolium. S. sisymbriifolium is known to be traditionally used in various kinds of ailments including pain and inflammation, some of which may be due to infection by various microbes found in our environment. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and saponins in this plant. Screening for the antimicrobial activity of tissue extracts by disc diffusion assay against test microorganisms revealed the presence of antimicrobial activity, maximum activity being found in the methanolic extracts. The activity was stable against drastic thermal and pH treatments. The antioxidative activity of its aerial tissue extracts was determined using DPPH-radical scavenging method. Antioxidant activities have been implicated as agents for fighting many other diseases such as cancer that result from oxidative damages arising out of synthesis of compounds via natural metabolic routes. The study suggests the use of Solanum sisymbriifolium species for further isolation and characterization of its bioactive compounds leading to the development of new antimicrobial drugs.

Antimicrobial activity of Pavetta indica leaves.

Antimicrobial activity of the aqueous and organic solvent extracts of the leaves of Pavetta indica were tested against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using disc diffusion assay. Most of the leaf extracts showed bactericidal activity against B. subtilis. None of the extracts exhibited any activity against E. coli and S. cerevisiae. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), thermal stability and qualitative phytochemicals studies were performed. Both MIC and MBC of the aqueous and methanol extracts were found to be between 1.95 - 7.81 mg/ml. The activity of aqueous and methanol extracts were found to be stable despite thermal treatment. Phytochemical analysis of aqueous extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins and carbohydrates. Methanol extract was found to be positive for saponin and cardiac glycosides. TLC and bioautography were also done to identify the active fractions responsible for the antimicrobial activities. Results showed the presence of a number of bactericidal components. The study suggests P. indica to be a source for isolation of antibacterial compounds for human health care and use as preservatives in food processing industry.