Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae): Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Studies of the Aqueous Methanol Leaves Extract

Abstract

Physalis angulata has several ethnomedical uses. The study was aimed at investigating the potential antimicrobial and antioxidant of the aqueous-methanol extract of P.angulata leaves. The extract was cold macerated in 80% methanol and tested for phytochemicals, antioxidants, and antimicrobials. The agar well diffusion method was used to determine antimicrobial activities at 6.25–100 mg/mL. The microorganisms tested included Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The quantification of total phenols and flavonoids was conducted using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method and the Aluminium Chloride colorimetric method, respectively. The assessment of radical scavenging activity was performed using the DPPH and FRAP models. The plant extract exhibited antibacterial activity, demonstrating concentration-dependent activity against all tested organisms. At 25 mg/mL, S. aureus and A. niger recorded zones of inhibitions of 19.00 and 23.00 mm while B. subtilis, E. coli, P. vulgaris and C. albicans recorded 18.83, 18.67, 14.00 and 4.35 respectively. However, at the maximum concentration of 100 mg/mL, A. niger recorded the highest zone of inhibition of 26.33 mm. The MIC was observed at 12.5 mg/mL against S. aureus, A. niger as well as 25 mg/ml B. substilis, E.coli, P. vulgaris and C. albicans respectively. The total flavonoids and phenolic activities was reported to be of 56.11±0.03 mg QAE/100 g and 96.13±0.07 mg QAE/100 g respectively. The DPPH and FRAP scavenging activities recorded IC50 of 0.05 and 0.07 mg/mL against 0.01 and 0.02 mg/mL of the control. The methanol extract of P. angulata leaves exhibited promising antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, supporting its traditional usage in ethno-medicine for treating many diseases.