Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Brine Shrimp Lethality Bioassay of Amoora cucullata, a Mangrove Plant

Objective: To determine antioxidant, antibacterial and brine shrimp lethality bioassay of Amoora cucullata using bark and leaf extracts of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol. Methods: Bark and leaf parts were separately soaked into petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol respectively. To determine the presence of antioxidant activity; DPPH free radical scavenging assay, total phenolics and flavonoids determination and reducing power assay were carried out. Disk diffusion and brine shrimp lethality bioassay were conducted for the preliminary screening of antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. Results: IC50 values in DPPH free radical scavenging assay for the extracts of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol were found to be 316.23, 1192.42 and 128.82 in bark and 1106.32, 1330 and 25.12 μg/mL in leaf extracts respectively. Total phenolic content determined by Folin- Ciocalteu method in bark was 58.41mg gallic acid/gm of dry plant material in methanol while 8.11 mg in petroleum ether leaf extract respectively. Total flavonoid content in bark and leaf was found to be 663.60, 549.47 and 46.25 mg in petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol while 1.64 and 14.09 mg QE/gm of dried plant material in petroleum ether and methanol respectively. In reducing power assay, methanolic extracts exhibited good reducing capacity. In antibacterial activity, extracts showed significant inhibition against enteropathogenic bacteria. Besides in brine shrimp lethality bioassay LC50 value was found to be 10, 2.301 and 7.28 in bark and 1.308, 1.94 and 2.14 μg/mL in leaf extracts of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol respectively. Conclusion: From the present research work it can be concluded that A. cucullata leaf possess moderate antioxidant properties; strong antibacterial activity and potential cytotoxic properties.