Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 2 (2025): 1288

 

Research Article

 

Evaluation of phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Laurus nobilis leaf extract

 

Fazilah Ariffin1,3, Hirooshini Subramaniam1, Ahmad Nazif Aziz1,2, Asnuzilawati Asari1,2, Maulidiani Maulidiani1,2 and Nurul Huda Abdul Wahab1,2*

 

1Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Malaysia

2Advanced Nano Materials (ANoMa) Research Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Malaysia

3Biological Security and Sustainability (Bioses) Research Interest Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: nhuda@umt.edu.my

 

Received: 25 August 2024; Revised: 3 December 2024; Accepted: 7 January 2025; Published: xx April 2025

 

Abstract

Laurus nobilis (L. nobilis) is a valuable source of medicinal compounds with diverse applications in the pharmaceutical industry. This study aimed to identify secondary metabolites through phytochemical screening, assess total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and evaluate radical scavenging activity along with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities by using thin-layer chromatography bioautography (TLC-DB). Dried leaves of L. nobilis were selected for extraction using hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Both qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted on the crude extracts. The major phytochemicals identified in the L. nobilis crude extracts included alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, terpenoids, proteins, coumarins, and reduce sugars. The total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activities, and TLC-DB assays for antibacterial and antioxidant activities were also studied. Quantitative analysis revealed that ethyl acetate crude extract contained the highest levels of flavonoids and phenolic content, with values of 6.28×10˛ mg QE/g and 1.98×10˛ mg GAE/g of extract sample, respectively, as compared to the other extracts. Hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol crude extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activities against DPPH, with IC50 values of 50.75 µg/mL, 44.65 µg/mL, and 51.31 µg/mL, respectively. TLC-DB analysis showed that hexane crude extract exhibited antibacterial activity against both Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, while methanol crude extract showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus only. All plant extracts demonstrated antioxidant activity in the TLC-DB analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the screened extracts of L. nobilis possess significant potential as antioxidant and antibacterial agents, and could serve as valuable resources for the development of novel therapeutic agents.

 

Keywords: Laurus nobilis, total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, thin-layer chromatography bioautography (TLC-DB), antioxidant, antimicrobe

 

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