A STUDY ON ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTS, POLYPHENOL CONTENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF LEAVES OF ASSAM APPLE PLANT (DOCYNIA INDICA (WALL.) DECNE)

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the antibacterial effects, polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities of leaf materials from Assam apple plants. Leaves were extracted with 4 solvents, including: ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane, and were dissolved and diluted by dimethyl sulfoxide to evaluate antibacterial effects, polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities. The results showed that extracts from methanol and ethanol exerted the best antibacterial effects, exerting inhibition on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as had the highest polyphenol contents and the strongest antibacterial activities. However, methanol was the superior solvernt than ethanol in all of 3 investigated properties. Therefore, we suggested that methanol should be applied in the extract of Assam apple plant leaves. Our results confirm the high potential of these leaves as herbs used for bacterial infections, and also as materials to enhance health through beneficial components, such as polyphenols anf antioxidant ingredients. However, future researches are still necessary, such as in vivo experiments are needed to elucidate the effects and widen the uses of this material in practice.