Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Abutilon Indicum (linn.) Leaves Extracts

Abutilon indicum is an important shrub which is traditionally used as folk medicine on various diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate phytochemicals, antioxidant and anti-microbial potential of the shrub that will potentiate its significance in traditional medicine. Ethanol (EAI), chloroform (CAI) and aqueous (AAI) extracts of A. indicum leaves were taken to perform these experiments. Phytochemical screening was done qualitatively; total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the extracts were evaluated quantitatively by Folin-Ciocalteau regent and aluminium trichloride methods, respectively. Antioxidant effect of the extracts was evaluated by 1, 1 Diphenyl −2picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing power (FRP) assay methods. Anti-microbial potential was determined by Agar diffusion method. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of major phytoconstituents. TPC and TFC were expressed as gallic acid and quercenin equivalents. Among the three extracts, EAI showed the highest TPC and TFC. The order of TPC and TFC among the extracts is EAI>CAI>AAI. In DPPH test, IC50 value of EAI, CAI and AAI were 25.11±2.57, 35.48±3.29 and 50.11±3.40 μg/ml, respectively. In case of FRP, EAI showed lowest EC50 value (28.18±2.53) followed by CAI (39.81±3.47) and AAI (70.79±4.56 μg/ml). In anti-microbial assay, both the EAI and CAI showed zone of bacterial growth inhibition of the tested organisms as concentration dependent manner whereas AAI did not show any inhibition up to 500 μg/ml concentration.