Abstract
The leaves of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. have been reported to have ethnomedicinal uses such as wound healing, skin itching or dermatitis, and others. This study was therefore conducted to evaluate its biological properties, whether ethanolic leaf extract of G. sepium (Jacq.) Walp. has antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, and whether these are reflected in the presence of antimicrobial and antioxidant phytochemicals in the extract. Antimicrobial properties using the agar well-diffusion method showed inhibition against bacterial organism Bacillus subtilis and fungus Candida albicans. The antioxidant activity evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) photometric assay showed that G. sepium (Jacq.) Walp. is a medium antioxidant with an IC50 of 144 ppm. Phytochemicals present in the extract showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, steroids, and tannins, which are known as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. Evaluation of the bioactive compounds in the extract using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry identified twenty-two (22) possible bioactive compounds. Of these, ten (10) were found to be known antimicrobials, while eight (8) compounds were found to be known antioxidants based on published literature. This study has shown support to the ethnomedicinal uses of the leaves of G. sepium (Jacq.) Walp. as an antimicrobial and antioxidant plant. Copyright (C) 2013 - All Rights Reserved - Pharmacophore