Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Syzygium aromaticum Extract and Essential oil

Abstract

Extraction of Syzygium aromaticum powder using organic solvent (methanol) revealed the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, aldehydes, ketones, alkaloids, glycoside, steroids, carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. A total of forty-six phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in Syzygium aromaticum extract using GCFID among which are gallic acid (847.36), syringic acid (259.04), protocatechuic acid (252.29), caffeic acid (151.01), eugenin (121.30), eugenitin (101.29), P-hydroxybenzoic acid (85.04), salicyclic acid (31.84), kaempferol (30.75), quercetin (27.68), rhamnetin (21.61), phenylacetic acid (18.09), myricetin (16.67) and isohamnetin (5.07) being of significant values. The percentage yield of Syzygium aromaticum oil extracted by hydrodistillation technique and isolated with Dichloromethane was 21.20%. The major phytoconstituents present are eugenol (75.10%), eugenyl acetate (13.57%), β-caryophyllene (5.27%), limonene (1.45%) and α-terpinolene (1.12%) respectively. The antimicrobial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration) of Syzygium aromaticum oil was investigated against six microorganisms namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium spp using agar well diffusion and nutrient broth dilution techniques. Syzygium aromaticum oil showed excellent antimicrobial activity compared to ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole used as control by inhibiting both bacteria and fungi with wide zones of inhibition.