European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PHARMACOGNOSTIC, PHYTOCHEMICAL, IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY STUDIES ON LEAVES OF Carica papaya.

Renuka Itani*, Dharma Prasad Khanal and Nisha Shrestha

ABSTRACT

The leaf of Carica papaya is also almost available in every season. Exploration of medicinal values of plant like papaya becomes very effective and becomes practically application. The studies included the macroscopic, microscopic, phytochemical screening, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity evaluation of leaves of Carica papaya. The microscopic study of leaf showed the presence of epidermis (upper and lower) lower epidermis consist numerous stomata but not in upper epidermis. Beneath epidermis a layer of palisade cells and spongy cells are present. Spongy cells consists rosette crystal. Pith is hollow. The epidermal layer of leaf shows the presence of anomocytic type of stomata. The result of the study revealed that the Carica papaya leaves methanolic extract consist large numbers of phytochemicals i.e. alkaloid, glycoside, tannin, terpinoid, saponin, cardiac glycoside, anthraquinone glycoside, flavonoid, phenol and protein. The study shows that the methanolic extract of Carica papaya has significant antioxidant activity with highest TPC (41.453 mg GAE/G) and TFC 32.42 mgQE/g). TPC was measures by using Folin-ciocalteau’s reagent and TFC of Carica papaya was measured by colorimetric assay. The TPC and TFC of the extracts were expressed as milligram of Gallic Acid Equivalent per gram of extracts i.e. mg GAE/g extract and milligram of quercetin equivalent per gram of extract i.e. mg QE/g extract respectively. Antibacterial activities of hexane and methanol extract of Carica papaya against the tested stamps of microorganisms were found to be non-indicative. Only the antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extract Carica papaya was found to indicative against Salmonella typhi.

Keywords: Carica papaya, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antibacterial activity.