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Phytoconstituents, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the leaves of Persea americana Mill cultivated in Ghana

2015; Academic Journals; Volume: 9; Issue: 36 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5897/jmpr2015.5902

1996-0875

Owusu Boadi Nathaniel, Ama Saah Selina, K.M. Maria John, Badu Mercy, Addai Arhinand Sylvester, Michael Baah Mensah,

Phytochemistry and Biological Activities

The leaves of Persea americana are widely used for ethno-medicinal purposes worldwide. This study assessed the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and petroleum ether leaves extracts of P. americana. Extracts displayed variable antimicrobial activities that were microorganism-specific. The methanolic extract displayed the most potent antimicrobial activities with the largest zones of inhibition (0-1.8 mm) in the agar diffusion assay and with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the broth dilution assay against a panel of microorganisms that included Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most potent antioxidant potential with the lowest EC50 of 4.15x10-30 g/ml for the peroxide radical scavenging activities. The data supports the ethnomedicinal use of the leaves of P. americana for the management of infections and for other symptoms whose etiology may be linked to oxidative stress. Key words: Persea americana, antioxidant, antimicrobial, phytochemical screening, minimum inhibitory concentration.