THE ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF PANDANUS AMARYLLIFOLIUS LEAF EXTRACTS: A PROMISING SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS

S. Justin Raj*, Mubeena Hamdulla

Pandanus amaryllifolius, also known as pandan, is a tropical plant with distinctively fragrant leaves that is utilized extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of leaf extracts made with different solvents (methanol, acetone, chloroform, and distilled water) were examined in this work. Using the disc diffusion method, the antibacterial activity was evaluated against five harmful bacteria: Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus sp., and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The findings showed that the methanol extract had the greatest overall antibacterial activity, with the widest zone of inhibition against B. subtilis (1.8 cm) and E. coli (1.9 cm). S. typhi (1.2 cm) and K. pneumoniae (1.0 cm) were significantly inhibited by the distilled water extract. The reducing power method was used to assess the antioxidant capability; higher absorbance was indicative of higher reducing power. The distilled water extract had the lowest antioxidant activity, whereas the acetone extract had the greatest, indicating a significant presence of reducing chemicals. These results support P. amaryllifolius's traditional usage and demonstrate its potential as a natural source of antioxidants and antibacterial agents for use in food and medicine.