Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Muleya E, Ahmed AS, Sipamla AM, Mtunzi FM and Mutatu W
Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activities of crude root extract fractions from Artemisia afra, Gunnera perpensa and Eucomis autumnalis were determined. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by using micro dilution method. In order to assess antioxidant scavenging capacity of plant extracts and fractions, 2, 2-di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2, 2´-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic was used as substrate. Anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extracts against 15-soybean lipoxygenase enzyme was evaluated by measuring change in absorbance at 234 nm using linoleic acid as substrate. The highest activity was obtained from methanol fraction of Gunnera perpensa with EC50 value of 1.069 μg/ml against 2,2-di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1- picrylhydrazyl. Eucomis autumnalis crude and acetone fraction displayed DPPH• free radical scavenging activity of EC50 of 2.891 μg/ ml and 2.41 μg/ ml respectively. Artemisia afra crude fraction and fractions of acetone and methanol displayed activity (EC50 for DPPH• radical, 2.113 μg/ ml with crude 4.393 μg/ ml with acetone fraction, 4.715 μg/ ml, with methanol fraction and with ABTS•+ radical cation, 6.447 μg/ ml and 6.208 μg/ ml from crude and methanol fraction respectively). The antioxidant properties of the extracts increased with the polarity of the fractions. Gunnera perpensa crude extract and fractions displayed antimicrobial properties with the methanol fraction being the most active with an EC50 of 80 μg/ ml, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and EC50 of 160 μg/ml against Candida albicans. Artemisia afra acetone and methanol fractions displayed inhibitory activities of 20 μg/ml against Escherichia coli and good-moderate activity ranging 160-320 μg/ml for the crude extract. Eucomis autumnalis had activities ranging 160- 320 μg/ml by the crude extract and fractions against the organisms tested except for crude extract activity against Escherichia coli of 630 μg/ml. The activities validate claims by the traditional healers use for cure offering possible alternative as dietary supplements to the management of inflammation related conditions.