PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTI-OXIDANT AND ANTI-MICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF LEAVE EXTRACT OF BRYOPHYLLUM PINNATUM ON SOME SELECTED CLINICAL PATHOGENS
Abstract
Bryophyllum pinnatum Lam. belongs to the family Crassulaceae and is commonly known as Canterbury-bells, love plant, miracle leaf and life plant. It is found in the tropical Africa, India, China, America and Australia. It is a succulent perennial plant that grows 1-1.5 m in height and the stem is hollow, four-angled and usually branched. Leaves are opposite, decussate, succulent, 10-20 cm long. This study evaluates the phytochemical composition, Antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Abamoda or Miracle Leaf), providing insights into its potential nutritional and therapeutic applications. The antioxidant activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum N-hexane leaf extract, demonstrated through DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, H₂O₂, and NO scavenging assays, highlights its potential as a natural source of antioxidants. Phytochemical screening across ethanolic, n-hexane, and aqueous extracts indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids in ethanolic and aqueous extracts, while n-hexane extracts lacked triterpenoids, tannins, and flavonoids. Quantitative analysis of its leaves revealed the presence of alkaloids (2.6%), flavonoids (6.2%), saponins (2.2%), phenols (3.7%), and tannins (0.8%). These compounds are associated with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. The high flavonoid and phenolic content highlights the plant's potent antioxidant potential, while alkaloids, saponins, and tannins contribute to its efficacy against infections and inflammation. Despite promising phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial screening showed no inhibitory activity against selected microorganisms in either ethanolic or n-hexane extracts, with only minimal activity (2.3 mm zone of inhibition) observed against Escherichia coli at high ethanol concentrations. These results suggest that while Bryophyllum pinnatum possesses valuable phytochemicals and a nutritionally beneficial proximate composition.
Keywords: Bryophyllum pinnatum, phytochemical screening, antioxidant, Antimicrobial activity,Therapeutic potential
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