Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

  • Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0875
  • DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 3835

Full Length Research Paper

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

Nathaniel Owusu Boadi*
  • Nathaniel Owusu Boadi*
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Selina Ama Saah
  • Selina Ama Saah
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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John Kenneth Mensah
  • John Kenneth Mensah
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Mercy Badu
  • Mercy Badu
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Sylvester Addai-Arhinand
  • Sylvester Addai-Arhinand
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Michael Baah Mensah
  • Michael Baah Mensah
  • Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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  •  Received: 23 July 2015
  •  Accepted: 27 August 2015
  •  Published: 25 September 2015

Abstract

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.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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