Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF PARTHENIUM HYSTEROPHORUS LINN.

Sujyoti Shakya*, Dharma Prasad Khanal, Bechan Raut, Prakriti Gautam and Sanjeev Dhakal

Abstract

The most common detrimental weed Parthenium hysterophorus belonging to the family Compositae was evaluated in this study. The research works which were carried out during the past were mainly based on the control and elimination of this weed due to its noxious effect. However, this plant was selected for the present work to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties present in it with the aim of finding modern drugs with less side effects. Phytochemical screening was carried out qualitatively by color reactions with different reagents. The antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity were carried out by DPPH scavenging method and cup diffusion method respectively. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides and carbohydrates. The methanolic extract showed the moderate antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 81.43 μg/ml whereas the ethyl acetate and hexane acetate showed least antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 250.33 and 827.41μg/ml respectively. The ethyl acetate extract showed the potent activity against Bacillus cereus and moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and E. coli whereas hexane and methanolic extract did not show antimicrobial activity against these organisms. The present study revealed the presence of high antimicrobial activity in ethyl acetate extract and moderate antioxidant activity in the methanolic extract of this plant. This study can be basis for the further research to find out more detail information regarding the relationship between antioxidant activity and other quantitative phytochemical content which may help to highlight the chemicals which are responsible for this activity.

Keywords: Parthenium hysterophorus, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, DPPH free radical scavenging method, Cup diffusion method.