PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF HYDROALCOHOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF ICHNOCARPUS FRUTESCENS

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants are an important source of bioactive compounds that possess various pharmacological activities. Ichnocarpus frutescens, a plant widely used in traditional medicine, is known for its therapeutic potential due to the presence of several phytochemicals. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial potential of the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens.

Methods: The leaves of Ichnocarpus frutescens were extracted using hexane and hydroalcoholic solvents. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out to identify the presence of major secondary metabolites. Quantitative estimation of total phenolic, flavonoid, and alkaloid contents was performed using standard spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, while antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar disc diffusion method against selected microbial strains including Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans.

Results: The hydroalcoholic extract showed a higher percentage yield (5.38% w/w) compared to the hexane extract (3.36% w/w). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, and sterols in the hydroalcoholic extract. Quantitative analysis indicated higher phenolic (2.013 mg GAE/100 mg) and flavonoid (2.054 mg QE/100 mg) contents in the hydroalcoholic extract. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 50.65 µg/ml in the DPPH assay. Furthermore, the hydroalcoholic extract demonstrated moderate antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens contains valuable phytoconstituents and exhibits considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These results support the traditional use of the plant and indicate its potential as a natural source of therapeutic agents...