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Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
Pyrrosia heterophylla (L.) M.G. Price, an epiphytic fern which is commonly known as Dragon Scales and its leaf is traditionally used in treating eczema, headache, breast cancer, small pox and also as styptic for coagulating blood and arresting capillary hemorrhages. The study was extended to determine the phytochemical, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of leaf extracts. The preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening of chloroform, methanol and aqueous extracts revealed the presence carbohydrates, cardiac glycoside, saponins, flavonoids, phytosterols and phenols. The antioxidant potential of methanol and aqueous leaf extracts were evaluated using seven in vitro assays, namely 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical, reducing power, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide radical inhibition activity (ethyl acetate extract) and metal ion chelating assay. The results indicated considerable antioxidant activity in both methanol and aqueous extracts. Antibacterial assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time kill assays performed revealed promising antibacterial activity was in methanol extract for both gram positive and gram negative bacteria tested. The results of the time kill assay showed significant reduction in growth for all tested bacteria between 4 and 12 h. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was evaluated against lung cancer cell line (A549), cervical cancer cell lines Si Ha and He La, and skin cancer cell line A375 were tested using MTT assay, and significant activity was recorded against cell line A375 with an IC50 value of 250 μg/ml.
