ABRUS PRECATORIUS SEED COAT: PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION
*B. Y. Sathish Kumar, Eram Fathima, M. Chethan Kumar, B. V. Latha and L. Mallesh
ABSTRACT
Seed of Abrus precatorius Linn (A, precatorius), a known poisonous drug, is used extensively in numerous Ayurvedic formulations with great therapeutic impact. The medicinal properties of the plants are determined by the presence of secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) in it. In the present study the phytochemical analysis, antioxidant and antibacterial activity in the aqueous extract of seed coat of Abrus precatorius was carried out to evaluate the presence of phytochemicals and inhibitory effect of the seed coat against some gram +ve and gram –ve bacteria. The result of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of many bioactive chemical constituents such as alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds in it. Antioxidant activity was determined by using 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays and the maximum percentage of scavenging activity was observed at 100μg/ml. The aqueous extract of seed coat showed significant inhibition in antibacterial studies. The compounds also showed less Cytotoxicity effects on human peripheral lymphocytes. Hence due to the presence of maximum numbers of the phytochemicals and inhibitory effects, Abrus precatorius seed coat might be used as antibacterial agent to control the plant and animal pathogens and also it can be concluded that, its aqueous extract could be considered for prevention and treatment of human diseases and its complications as potent antioxidant.
Keywords: Seed coat; Abrus precatorius; Phytochemicals; Antioxidant; Antibacterial activity.
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