Phytochemistry, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of fruit extracts of Myrsine africana L.

Abstract

Myrsine africana L. a commonly consumed medicinal plant grows in forest of mountains region located at North East of Pakistan. In current study, the fruit extracts were chemically characterized and their bioactivities were determined. Higher quantity of total phenols, total flavonoids and tannins were obtained from methanolic fruit extracts. The HPLC analysis provided higher level of quercetin followed by rutin and p-coumaric acid. Whereas the GC-MS quantification had given significant level of ten saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and some of them were not reported earlier. In vitro study, lower cytotoxic behavior of fruit extracts but higher antioxidant values as well as higher zone of inhibition versus S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumonia and B. subtilis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were observed. The organic compounds found in fruit extracts of M. africana correlated well with its used in ethno medicines.