Evaluation of Antioxidant Potency, Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Fiscus capensis Leaves (Cape Fig)

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants all over the world predates the introduction of antibiotics and other modern drugs into Africa as medicinal plants constituents are effective source of natural products. Phytochemical screening, antioxidant and antimicrobial analyses were carried out on the leaves extract of Fiscus capensis. It was extracted selectively using water, methanol and ethanol by maceration. The phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, total phenol and tannins with cardiac glycoside and alkaloid in trace amount. The results of the quantitative analysis revealed that the extracts (aqueous, ethanol, methanol) contains in mg/g; tannins (4.23, 12.84, 23.89), total phenol (144.95, 461.28, 662.30), saponins (4.44, 70.44, 115.04), flavonoids (13.22, 20.94, 84.78) and alkaloids (1.70, 1.82, 2.12) respectively. Antimicrobial analysis was conducted on the ethanol extract and it revealed inhibitory activity against Staphylococus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 250 mg/mL concentration with no inhibition against Escherichia coli. The zone of inhibition of growth produced by the ethanol extract on the selected
microorganism at 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/mL ranged from 1 – 13 mm. In vitro antioxidants analysis using DPPH at 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 mg/mL revealed methanol extract (IC50 of 90.52 mg/mL). Results obtained from this research have provided preliminary evidence for the use of Fiscus capensis leaves in traditional medicine for treatment of diseases associated to free radicals and microbial infections.