Abstract

SCREENING OF SECONDARY METABOLITES, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY FROM THE PETALS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA

*Sumathy R, Vijayalakshmi. M, Deecaraman. M, Sankaranarayanan S, Bama P, Ramachandran J.,

ABSTRACT

Moringa oleifera is a small, fast-growing evergreen or deciduous tree and known for its various medicinal properties. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of aqueous methanol extract of Moringa oleifera petals was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris using the disc diffusion method. The methanol extract inhibited the growth of all the presently investigated bacteria with zone of inhibition between 12.4 – 23.4 mm at 20 μl/ml whereas the minimum inhibitory effect of the methanol extract of Moringa oleifera petals was effective at the highest concentration (20 μl/ml) against pathogenic microorganisms. Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed that the methanol extracts of Moringa oleifera petals contain flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and glycosides. Studies have shown that the petals of Moringa oleifera may be a great natural source for the development of new drugs and might be useful for treating the bacterial diseases.

Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Antimicrobial activity, Phytochemical screening, Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC),