Evaluation of Phytochemical Profile and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-bacterial and Anti-inflammatory activity of Piper schmidtii Hook. fil. A Wild Edible Fruit

Abstract

Aim: The present study aims at screening the phytochemical components and evaluates the antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory activity of fruit of Piper schmidtii, an endemic plant species from The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Method: The different polar solvents such as petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water were used and extraction was carried out using the soxhlet apparatus. The extracts were screened for qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis. The extracts of P. schmidtii were also subjected to in vitro-antioxidant activity by DPPH assay, Phosphomolybdenum assay, Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), superoxide radical scavenging activity, and reducing power assay. Results: Among all the extracts, methanol extract exhibited the maximum amount of phenolics (731.91 mg GAE/g extract), tannin (726.6 milligrams of Gallic acid equivalent/g extract), and ethyl acetate extract depicted the maximum quantity of flavonoids (698.17 mg QE/g extract). Methanol extract of P. schmidtii revealed the higher antioxidant activity in all the assays with IC50 values of 15.19 μg/ml (DPPH), 135.67 mg AAE/g (Phosphomolybdenum assay), 380.98 mM Fe/mg (FRAP), 60.94% (Superoxide) and higher reducing power was depicted in the ethyl acetate extract, respectively. Further anti-bacterial activity revealed that the methanol extract shows highest inhibitory activity against the tested bacterial pathogens. The methanol extract showed high degree of inhibition (71.24%) in anti-inflammatory assay. Conclusion: Thus, the result support that P. schmidtii is a potential source of natural antioxidant that can inhibit bacterial growth and subside inflammation.