Analysis of Acalypha Indica extracts for antioxidant and antibacterial activities

Abstract

Herbal medicines are made from herbs to treat or prevent disease which has been used since ancient. This present study was undertaken to investigate antioxidant and antibacterial activity of leaf-stem, root and whole plant of Acalypha indica by using aqueous-ethanol, aqueous-vinegar and water as solvents. Soxhlet apparatus was utilized in preparing the extracts by using fresh sample. All samples were evaluated for antioxidant activity by using DPPH assay and antibacterial activity, which assessed through disc diffusion method. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to analyze the antibacterial activity at different concentration of the extracts. Aqueous-ethanol extract of leaf-stem was found possessing highest activity of antioxidant with IC50 at 21 µg/mL. Meanwhile, all parts of aqueous-ethanol and aqueous-vinegar extracts were susceptible against all those bacteria whilst water extracts were resistance. Presence of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds and alkaloids would be the vigor core of those activities. This study suggests the latent potential of Acalypha indica to be used as natural source for herbal medicine or any industrial related applications.