Phytochemical screening and evaluation of antibacterial, antipyretic, hypoglycemic, and anxiolytic effects of Adiantum philippense leaf extracts

Abstract

Adiantum philippense (AP) is a source of various important phytochemicals and has been traditionally used to cure many diseases, including dysentery, ulcers, fevers, cooling, and elephantiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-bacterial, anti-pyretic, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects of AP using a number of in vitro and in vivo test protocols. For this, dried leaves were extracted by the Soxhlet extractor using ethanol. The crude ethanol extract was then fractionated by treating with chloroform and n-hexane. A preliminary phytochemical screening was done for its crude extracts. The antibacterial activity of ethanol, chloroform, and n-hexane extracts of AP was tested against 10 pathogenic bacteria at concentrations of 500 µg/disc. The ethanol extract showed significant activity against Gram (+ve) and Gram (-ve) bacteria. In mice, the chloroform extracts showed significant (p <0.05) antipyretic and hypoglycemic effects, while the ethanol extract exerted significant anxiolytic effects on mice. The results obtained from this study indicate that AP leaf extracts contain important phytochemical groups and exert antibacterial, antipyretic, hypoglycemic, and anxiolytic effects. Further studies are required to isolate the bioactive compounds responsible for these claimed biological activities.