STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF SOLVENT EXTRACTS OF FRUITS OF MYRICA ESCULENTA

Plants are found to be the significant bioreactors of versatile phytochemicals and nutraceuticals responsible for significant antimicrobial, antioxidant and other pharmacological activities. These molecules are thus an exemplary source of formulation of drugs and thus the ayurvedic extracts of plant (s) or plant part (s) are in traditional use to combat any infection and immunomodulating activity in the living being. In the present study, the fruit extracts of Myrica esculenta were prepared in different solvents viz. 80% methanol, hydro-alcohol, hexane and chloroform. The results of the study revealed significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities as determined by conventional procedures. The results showed, extracts viz. 80% methanolic extract, hydro-alcoholic extract and hexane extract at 1 mg/ml concentration had significant antimicrobial potential against E. coli, Salmonella abony and Staphylococcus epidermidis while no antimicrobial activity was determined against Micrococcus luteus, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. The chloroformic extracts possessed no activity against any of the organism studied. antioxidant activity of the solvent extracts follows the order viz 80% methanolic extract>hydro-alcoholic extract>hexane extract>chloroformic extract.