Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extract of Polyalthia suberosa leaf

Abstract

Polyalthia suberosa is a medicinal plant known for its traditional use in treating inflammation, pain, and infections. Traditionally, it has been used in South and Southeast Asian medicine to treat fever, wounds, and gastrointestinal disorders, highlighting its therapeutic potential. The present study was conducted to find out the the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial effect of the methanolic extract of leaves of P.suberosa (MPSL). The phytochemical screening was performed following the standard method. Antimicrobial activity was tested against 5 pathogenic bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escheichia coli, Klebsiella peunomoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) by the Disk diffusion method. Alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, phenolic compounds, steroids and resin were some of the chemical constituents identified during phytochemical screening. The plant showed moderate antimicrobial activity against tested microorganisms. Although the experimental extract showed antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogenic microbes. Therefore, the MPSL extract can be used as a new source for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs. However, further investigation is required to find out the responsible phytoconstituents for the aforementioned activity.