The Journal of Phytopharmacology, 2019;8(5):266-274 DOI:10.31254/phyto.2019.8511

Research Article

Recent studies on phytochemical analysis, radical scavenging and anti-microbial activity of the leaves of Gampocarpus fruticosus from Namibia

Ateeq Rahman¹ , Arnold Magurausche¹ , Celine Mukakalisa¹ , David Nanhapo¹ , Daniel Likius¹ , Veikko Uahengo¹

Ateeq Rahman,Arnold Magurausche,Celine Mukakalisa,David Nanhapo,Daniel Likius,Veikko Uahengo

1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Namibia, Pionierspark, Post Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 15th July, 2019 / Accepted: 30th October, 2019

Abstract

Gampocarpus fruticosus is a wild plant that belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family and has many traditional uses. The plant has demonstrated a significant level of microbial and phytochemical activity; the drugresistant strains of microbes and traditional uses which have emerged in the last decade will be eradicated by the compounds this indigenous plant carries. Phytochemical screening was executed followed by the evaluation of total flavonoid, phenol and tannin content using aluminium chloride method, folin-ciocalteu method and the potassium ferrocyanide methods respectively. Antimicrobial screening as well as MIC determination was done using the disk diffusion method. The antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH Free Radical Scavenging Method. The quantitative phytochemical determinations were performed in triplicate and expressed as means (± standard deviation) and of the phytochemicals that were quantified, tannins were present in large amounts with 6.937±0.115 mg TA/g in the methanolic extract and 5.356±0.185 mg TA/g in the ethanolic extract. The MIC values for antimicrobial analysis were recorded as the minimum application of plant extracts that totally repressed the growth of the microorganism. The MIC value for the ethanolic extract on Staphylococcus aureus was 1 mg/ml and for Escherichia coli it was 6 mg/ml. For DPPH, the extract with the lowest IC?? was the one with the highest scavenging activity. The standard used was Vitamin C and it had an IC?? value of 0.37 mg/ml. The IC?? value of the methanolic extract and ethanolic extract were 0.25 mg/ml and 0.34 mg/mlrespectively. The main highlights of this article are their greater medicinal value of phytochemicals present, antimicrobialactivity and antioxidant activity that was exhibited by the leaf extract of G.fruticosus plant.