Author(s):

MV Tamilvannan, S Ravikumar, A Rajalakshmi and T Murugan

Abstract: Infectious diseases are the striking causes of about 50% mortality worldwide. Phytochemical constituents of the plant, particularly secondary metabolites, play major role in human defense against infections. In the current study the leaves of Memecylon umbellatum Burm F, one of the medicinally important plants, was analyzed for its antibacterial, phytochemical and antioxidant properties. Among the six bacterial strains tested, the methanol extract of the leaves exhibited high antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. and Vibrio sp. with zones of inhibition of 17mm and 16mm respectively. The phytochemical analysis of the plant leaf extract obtained by employing several solvents showed the presence of tannins, coumarin, sterols, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones, terpenes and proteins. Further their total phenol content was high in methanol extract which was estimated to be 79.05 mg/ml and flavonoid as 173.3 mg/ml. They also act as a potent free radical scavenger and Nitric Oxide scavenger with an IC₅₀ values of 45.53 µg/ml and 55.66 µg/ml. This implies that Memecylon umbellatum Burm F has potent antibacterial and antioxidant properties with high levels of phytochemicals packed. Thus the current findings may remain as a pre-requisite for the development of plant-based herbal formulations with enhanced efficacy against several deadly diseases.

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