Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant in Acalypha fruticosa Leaves: A Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

Acalypha fruticosa is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine for treating various ailments. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical constituents, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties of the leaves of this plant. We extracted the leaves of A. fruticosa using methanol, diethyl ether, and water solvents. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed to detect the presence of different phytochemicals. The well diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Antioxidant activity was assessed qualitatively by TLC bioautography and quantitatively by DPPH radical scavenging assay, using ascorbic acid as a positive control. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various phytochemicals, including alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, tannins, phenols, glycosides, carbohydrates, and proteins, while steroids were absent. The aqueous extract showed maximum inhibition zones against P. aeruginosa and E. coli (17 mm each), while the diethyl ether extract exhibited the highest inhibition against S. aureus (33 mm). The methanolic extract only showed activity against P. aeruginosa (16 mm). All extracts were ineffective against K. pneumoniae. Qualitative antioxidant assessment by TLC demonstrated the presence of antioxidant compounds in all extracts. The quantitative DPPH radical scavenging assay indicated that the methanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity compared to the other extracts and ascorbic acid. The findings suggest that A. fruticosa leaves are a rich source of phytochemicals and possess significant antibacterial and antioxidant properties, supporting their potential use in the development of natural therapeutic agents.