PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF DECALEPIS HAMILTONII ROOT

The bioactive secondary metabolites of Decalepis hamiltonii (Asclepiadaceae), an important medicinal plant
that has traditionally been used for its tonic and antibacterial properties, have tired more attention. Investigation
the phytochemical composition, potential for antioxidants and antimicrobial activity of D. hamiltonii root
extracts was the primary objective of the current study. To identify the main phytoconstituents, a preliminary
phytochemical screening of the ethanolic root extract was carried out using standard qualitative methods. The
DPPH free radical scavenging method was used to measure antioxidant activity and BHA was used as the
standard. The agar disc diffusion and broth dilution procedure were used to evaluate antimicrobial potential
against Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus
with the purpose to determine inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Glycosides,
amino acids and fixed oils were not found, however carbohydreates, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and
saponins were identified. With an IC50 of 349 μg/ml, the ethanol extract exhibited significant DPPH radical
scavenging activity. With inhibition zone ranged from 9 to 40 mm and MIC values between 100 and 500 μg/ml
D. hamiltonii roots extracts revealed broad spectrum activity against both gram positive and gram-negative
bacteria in antimicrobial screening. Significant reduction against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus
was observed. Based on the findings Decalepis hamiltonii roots are a rich source of flavonoid and phenolic
compound, which support the plant’s antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.