Screening and
Evaluation of Phytochemical Constituents, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Anti-Arthritic
Activities of Methanolic Extract of Nyctanthes arbortristis L. Leaves
Tata V.S. Padmavathi and Audipudi Amrutha V.
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 21(1); 202-208;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/211rjbt2020208; (2026)
Abstract
The objective of the current research was to determine the antioxidant, antimicrobial
and anti-arthritic activities of the methanolic extract of Nyctanthes arbortristis
leaves (MLEN). In the present study, the phytochemical constituents, total phenolic
content and reducing power of MLEN were analysed and the antimicrobial activity
of MLEN against three clinical pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 9542), Fusobacterium
nucleatum (MTCC 25586) and Propionibacterium acnes (MTCC 1951) was studied using
the agar-well diffusion method. We evaluated the antioxidant characteristics and
anti-arthritis activities using the DPPH assay and in vitro inhibition of egg albumin
denaturation. MLEN showed the presence of phenols, tannins, cardiac glycosides,
alkaloids and flavonoids, with a total phenolic content equivalent to 450 μg/ml
of gallic acid and a maximum reducing power (0.88) at 80 μg/ml.
The leaf extract showed 28.28 mm/0.1 ml inhibition with S. aureus, 25.75 mm/0.1
ml with F. nucleatum and 13.18 mm/0.1 ml with P. acnes. MLEN showed significant
antioxidant activity (IC50 59.7 μg/ml). In vitro anti-arthritic activity, achieved
through the inhibition of protein denaturation, yielded promising results with an
IC50 of 109.3458 μg/ml. Outcomes of the investigation revealed that phenols, tannins,
cardiac glycosides, alkaloids and flavonoids may be the primary metabolites in MLEN
responsible for significant antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-arthritic activities,
paving the way for further investigation of biologically active principles of pharmacological
significance.
