Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 26 No 4 (2022): 766 - 773

 

 

 

 

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF Muntingia calabura Linn. AND ITS ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES VIA IN VITRO EVALUATION

 

(Analisis Fitokimia Muntingia calabura Linn. dan Sifat-sifat Antibakteria Melalui Penilaian In Vitro)

 

Suhaidi Ariffin*, Juita Zulkefli, Aqilah Muhammad Saleh

 

Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Negeri Sembilan, Kampus Kuala Pilah,

72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  suhaidi@uitm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 14 March 2022; Accepted: 27 April 2022; Published: 25 August 2022

 

 

Abstract

Muntingia calabura Linn. is one of the roadside trees that can easily be found in Malaysia. The calabura is the only species found in the genus Muntingia. The valuable bioactive compounds from this species had been documented, however, those originating from local are still considered scanty. This study was conducted to screen the phytochemicals presented, to identify the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and to determine the antibacterial properties of both extracted ripe and unripe fruits. The extraction process was achieved by the successive maceration technique using three different solvents namely n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The analysis of TPC and TFC was successfully done by Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminium chloride colorimetric method respectively. A disc diffusion method had been employed to test the antibacterial effect. It was found that the percentage yield of methanol crude extract was the highest with 5.92% for unripe fruit and 8.66% for ripe fruit. Phytochemical screening of M. calabura L. extracts indicated the presence of flavonoids, phlobatannins, tannins, and glycosides for unripe fruit, and the ripe fruit extracts show the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and glycosides. The greatest TPC and TFC were observed in the methanol extract with 47.96 mg GAE/g (unripe), 94.43 mg GAE/g (ripe), and 99.74 mg QE/g (unripe), 35.38 mg QE/g (ripe) respectively. The in vitro antibacterial study of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the unripe fruit were active against all tested bacteria (B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, and K. pneumonia). However, the ripe fruit extracts demonstrated no antibacterial activity. Thus, the findings remark the potential of these extracts especially the crude from methanol to obtain unique chemical compounds for drug discovery.

 

Keywords:  fruit extracts, phytochemical, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antibacterial

 

Abstrak

Muntingia calabura Linn. merupakan antara pokok tepi jalan yang mudah didapati di Malaysia. Calabura adalah satu-satunya spesies yang terdapat dalam genus Muntingia. Sebatian bioaktif yang berharga daripada spesies ini telah didokumenkan, bagaimanapun, yang berasal dari tempatan masih dianggap sedikit. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menyaring fitokimia yang dibentangkan, untuk mengenal pasti jumlah kandungan fenolik (TPC) dan jumlah kandungan flavonoid (TFC), dan untuk menentukan sifat antibakteria kedua-dua buah masak dan tidak masak yang diekstrak. Proses pengekstrakan dilakukan dengan teknik pemekatan berturut-turut menggunakan tiga pelarut berbeza iaitu n-heksana, etil asetat, dan metanol. Analisis TPC dan TFC telah berjaya dilakukan dengan kaedah Folin-Ciocalteu dan kaedah kolorimetrik aluminium klorida. Kaedah penyebaran cakera telah digunakan untuk menguji kesan antibakteria. Didapati peratusan hasil ekstrak mentah metanol adalah yang tertinggi iaitu 5.92% bagi buah yang belum masak dan 8.66% bagi buah masak. Pemeriksaan fitokimia bagi ekstrak M. calabura L. menunjukkan kehadiran flavonoid, phlobatannin, tanin, dan glikosida untuk buah yang belum masak, dan ekstrak buah masak menunjukkan kehadiran alkaloid, flavonoid, tanin, dan glikosida. Nilai TPC dan TFC terbesar telah diperolehi daripada ekstrak metanol dengan 47.96 mg GAE/g (belum masak), 94.43 mg GAE/g (matang), dan 99.74 mg QE/g (belum masak), 35.38 mg QE/g (matang). Kajian antibakteria in vitro bagi ekstrak metanol dan etil asetat buah yang belum masak adalah aktif terhadap semua bakteria yang diuji (B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, dan K. pneumonia). Walau bagaimanapun, ekstrak buah masak tidak menunjukkan aktiviti antibakteria. Oleh itu, hasil kajian menunjukkan ekstrak methanol terutamanya, mempunyai potensi yang besar untuk mendapatkan sebatian kimia yang unik bagi hasilan ubat.

 

Kata kunci:  ekstrak buah-buahan, fitokimia, jumlah kandungan fenolik, jumlah kandungan flavonoid, antibakteria

 

Graphical Abstract

 

 

 

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