Phytochemical analysis and assessment of the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of life plant (kalanchoe pinnata l.) in the Niger Delta Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Kalanchoe pinnata L. Phytochemical screening, conducted via standard techniques, yielded: alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, steroids and tannins in the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts. The Agar Well Diffusion Method was employed to screen the respective k. pinnata leaf (KPL) extracts for antibacterial activities against the test microorganisms: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The results revealed that the ethanolic leaf extract inhibited all the test organisms with zones of growth inhibition ranging between 10-22 mm as against 30 mm observed for gentamicin, the standard antibiotic. However, the aqueous leaf extracts were only active against staphylococcus aureus. The antioxidant activity based on DPPH assay showed the % inhibition ranges of 48.83 – 68.02 % for the ethanol KPL extract and 76.97 – 85. 52% for the reference antioxidant, Ascorbic Acid (AA). The antioxidant potential of KPL extract was comparable to that of AA as depicted by the IC50 values of 1.485 mg/mL and 1.038 mg/mL respectively. The macro elements determined in KPL extracts gave values: Ca (75.36 ± 0.17 mg/L), Mg (18.11 ± 0.18 mg/L), Na (6.14 ± 0.24 mg/L) and K (5.55 ± 0.022 mg/L). The results thus obtained indicate the antibacterial, antioxidant as well as nutritional potential of the KPL extracts. Consequently, the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of this plant show ample prospects for widespread use in traditional medicine in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.