In Vitro Biological Investigations of Chloroform Extract of Wedelia Trilobata Leaves”

Abstract

The study was designed for pharmacological investigation of chloroform fraction of Wedelia trilobata leaves extract (Family: Asteraceae). The powdered leaves of Wedelia trilobata were extracted with methanol and then partitioned with petroleum ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate consecutively. The chloroform fraction was investigated for total flavonoid content, brine shrimp lethality bio-assay and antimicrobial test. The fraction contained 228.824mg AAE/g of total flavonoid content which shows that the fraction have prominent antioxidant property. Screening for cytotoxic properties using brine shrimp lethality bioassay with tamoxifen (LC50 value of 13.38μg/ml) as positive control showed that the fraction have considerable cytotoxic potency exhibiting LC50 value 27.17μg/ml. In antimicrobial activity investigation, the chloroform fraction showed low antibacterial and antifungal activity against the tested organisms compared to ciprofloxacin (30μg/disc) which was used as positive control. The chloroform fraction showed moderate cytotoxic activity, potent antioxidant activity and slight antimicrobial activity. Further investigations are needed for the proper identification and isolation of these bioactive compounds to produce safer drugs for treatment of harmful diseases.