ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF PIMENTA RACEMOSA LEAF EXTRACTS

S. Justin Raj*, Nihala Subhana S.

The current work uses solvents with varying polarity (methanol, acetone, chloroform, and distilled water) to examine the antibacterial and antioxidant qualities of Pimenta racemosa leaf extracts. The disc diffusion method was used to measure the antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. With the largest inhibition zone (1.8 cm) against Bacillus subtilis, methanol extract demonstrated the most potent antibacterial activity. Extracts of distilled water and acetone also shown modest action, whereas extracts of chloroform showed little to no inhibition. The Fe2+ reducing power assay was used to measure antioxidant activity, and the results indicated a dose-dependent rise in activity. Methanol extract showed the least amount of antioxidant activity, whereas distilled water extract showed the most. These results imply that P. racemosa leaves contain bioactive substances that may find use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.