Evaluation of Phytochemical Variation, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of Three Sudanese Traditional Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Herbal medicine has a long history of being for treating various ailments ranging in severity. Traditional medicine is widely used on a regular basis by Sudanese. This research aims to determine the phytochemical constituents and evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts from three Sudanese traditional medicinal plants (khella, marula and black mustard). The phytochemicals of the oils were determined by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC-MS analysis  showed that the predominant constituents in the black mustard were 2,4-Decadienal (31.72%), 2-Pyrrolidinone 1-methyl (19.41),phenol (9.43%), Limonene (6.8%), Benzoic acid (2.12%), 2-(1-phenylethyl)- (1.78%),  and Eugenol (0.96%). The identified fatty acids were Oleic acid (1.86%) and Palmatic acid (1.34%). The major aromatic components found in the marula extract were Phenol,2,2'-methylenebis[6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methyl(29.96%),Phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)(1.94%).The major fatty acid present was Linoleic acid (18.51%). The most abundant components found in the khella seed oil were ?-Farnesene (11.8%), Ammidin (5.44%), Methoxsalen (3.62%), Stearic acid (2.81%), Palmitic acid (2.81%), Decanoic acid, propyl ester (1.10%) and Oleic acid (0.81%). To assess the antioxidant activity of the three aqueous extracts, the radical scavenging activity (RSA %) for khella seed extract varied between 21.15 and75.44for all concentrations (125, 250, 500, 1000 µg/ml). At a concentration of 1000 µg/ml, black mustard extract scavenged 46.65% of DPPH radicals, whereas that of 500, 250 and 125µg/ml caused 28.31%, 20.68%, and 19.38% RSA, respectively. The aqueous extract of marula bark had the highest RSA% for all concentrations (98.67% 97.06%, 95.76%, and 80.84%, respectively) compared to the aqueous seed extract for khella and mustard. Antimicrobial activities of different solvents extract of the three medicinal plants studied against three selected microorganisms (E. coli, S. aureusand C. albicans). Ethanolic extract of marula and khella showed the most potent activity against S.aureusand C. albicans. Aqueous and chloroform extracts were failed to inhibit growth for the three strains. The MIC concentrations ranged from 0.37mg/ml to 0.75 mg/ml for both bacteria and fungi.