Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant and Phytochemical Studies on Extracts of <i>Justicia beddomei</i> (C. B. Clarke) Bennet

Background: Justicia beddomei (C.B. Clarke) Bennet, is an important ingredient in “Vasa”, a key medication in Ayurveda. There are only a few research studies of J. beddomei. Objectives: The goal of the current investigation is to perform a qualitative and quantitative screening for phytochemicals, and characterizing the antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties of successive solvent extracts of J. beddomei. Methodology: Phytochemical screening, total phenolic, alkaloid and flavonoid contents were determined using standard methods. The antioxidant activity of plant extracts was determined by DPPH and ABTS scavenging assays. The antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts was determined by agar well diffusion method. Results and Discussion: The qualitative phytochemical screening results demonstrated that each extract (water, petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) was mainly constituted of phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The greatest concentrations of phenolic (70.21 ± 0.4086 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg extract), flavonoids (23.36 ± 0.3007 μg quercetin equivalent/mg extract) and alkaloids (74.56 ± 0.5052 μg atropine equivalent/mg extract) were found in the ethanol extract. The extracts of water, petroleum ether, and chloroform of J. beddomei showed moderate inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 87) at 1000 μg. None of the extracts exhibited any inhibitory effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 741) up to 1000 μg. The ethyl acetate and water extract of J. beddomei exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans (MTCC 227) at 1000 μg. According to the antioxidant studies, the aqueous extract had the highest scavenging activity for ABTS (IC50 373.83 μg/ml) and DPPH (IC50 368.90 μg/ml). Conclusion: J. beddomei possesses various secondary metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.