Phytochemical Screening and Potential Antibacterial, Antifungi and Antioxidative Activities of the Leaves Extracts of Piperomia pellucida (Piperaceae)

The hexane, ethanolic, hydroethanolic and aqueous leaves extracts of Piperomia pellucida were evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against five gram negative bacilli (Klebsiella pneumoniae CHUY, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella typhi CHUY and Salmonella enterica CHUY), two cocci gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 5199) and two fungi (Candida albicans CHUY and Candida albicans 20231) using microdilution techniques. The extracts were also assayed for their antioxidant properties by DPPH and FRAP methods with Vitamin C as reference. The results demonstrated that, the hexane extract exhibited strong antibacterial potency with MIC value of 0.625 mg/mL and MBC of 1.25 mg/mL on Salmonella typhi CHUY. Also, it showed good activities on P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and S. enterica CHUY; and weak activity against E. coli ATCC 35218 and S. aureus ATCC 25923. The aqueous extract displayed good activities against S. aureus ATCC 25923, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, E. coli ATCC 35218, S. typhi CHUY, S enterica CHUY ; weak potency toward E. coli ATCC 35218 and was inactive on the tested fungi strains. The ethanolic and hydroethanolic extract displayed weak activities on E. coli ATCC 35218, S. enterica CHUY and S. typhi CHUY.

The strongest antioxidative activities of efficient concentrations were exhibited by the ethanolic (10.681 ± 0.530µg/mL) and the hydroethanolic extracts (16.339 ± 0.043µg/mL).