Phytochemical analysis and inhibitory activity of Ornamental Plant (Bougainvillea spectabilis)

Plants are the reservoir of effective chemotherapeutics and can provide valuable sources of natural antimicrobials. Bougainvillea is an ornamental plant that has also been used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial and antiviral agent. The purpose of this study was to make the phytochemical analysis and test the antimicrobial activity of Bougainvillea- spectabilis stem, leaves and flowers against Salmonella typhi. The phytochemical constituents of the dried powdered plant parts were extracted using aqueous and organic solvents (acetone, ethanol, methanol and chloroform) through the soxhlet and rotary evaporator. The antimicrobial activity of the concentrated extracts was evaluated by determination of the diameter of zone of inhibition by using the paper disc diffusion method. The results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoids, glycosides, phlobotannins, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids in distilled water, acetone chloroform, ethanol and methanol extracts of stem flowers and leaves extracts. Among different parts of Bougainvillea, leaves showed highest activity followed by flowers and stem. Stem extracts activity was higher in methanol. Leaves showed highest activity in ethanol while flowers extracts highest activity was observed in methanol and ethanol. Bougainvillea spectabilis has broad spectrum antibacterial activity and a potential source of new classes of antibiotics that could be useful for infectious disease chemotherapy and control.

Author(s): Farzana Rashid, Nadia Sharif*, Ijaz Ali, Saima Sharif, Fakhar Un Nisa and Shagufta Naz

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