PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF CALPURNIA AUREA (DIGITA) SEED AND LEAF EXTRACTS.

Abstract

In Ethiopia there are many species of medicinal plants which may contain disease-curing bioactive compounds which are distributed all over the country especially, in the North and South Gondar part of the country. The extracts of different parts of Calpurnia aurea are used as traditional medicine in Ethiopia for the treatment of syphilis, malaria, rabies, diabetes, hypertension, diarrhea, leishmaniasis, trachoma, elephantiasis, malaria, hypertension, diarrhea, rabies, wound, amoebiasis, snake bit, tick control, liver diseases, fungal diseases and different swelling. This study aimed to evaluate qualitative phytochemical constituents, determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and determine the antibacterial activities of the hexane, chloroform and methanol seeds and leave crude extracts of Calpurina aurea. The percentage yields of methanol, chloroform and hexane crude extracts of C. aurea seed and leaf were 45g(22.5%),22g(11%)and 9.5g(4.75%) and 35g (17.5%),16g(8%) and 8g(4%), respectively. The phytochemical investigation of the hexane, chloroform and methanol crude extracts of the seed and leaf of Calpurin aaurea revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, tanins, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides and cumurian and absence of anthocyanins. Total Phenolic Content (TPC) was determined by colorimetric methods, using gallic acid as the standard. The values of TPC of hexane, chloroform and methanol crude extracts of C.aurea obtained was 77, 336 and 1240 and 27, 111 and 882 mg GAE/g, for seed and leaf; respectively. The Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) was determined using Catechin as standard. The values of TFC of hexane, chloroform and methanol crude extracts of C. aurea obtained was 575,713 and 958 and 370, 390,738 mg CE/g, for seed and leaf, respectively. The antibacterial activities of the extracts were investigated against one gram positive bacteria, and three gram negative bacterias. The antibacterial activity was tested using Muller Hinton Agar medium by disc diffusion method. After incubation, zone of inhibition was measured in mm. Methanol seed and leaf crude extracts of Calpurina aurea showed a good antibacterial activity result against a gram positive bacteria Staphyloccus aureous and a gram negative bacteria staphyloccus thyphi, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. Hexane and Chloroform crude extracts of Calpurina aurea showed no antibacterial activity. Generally, it was found out that the methanol seed crude extract had more total phenolic and flavonoid contents than the methanol leaf crude extract and seed/leaf hexane and chloroform crude extracts