Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Potential of Aegel marmelos Fruit Pulp Extracts against Clinical Pathogens

In India, a wide range of medicinal plants are reported. Since ancient times, these medicinal plants have been used by people for the treatment of several diseases. Herbal medicines typically have fewer side effects compared to synthetic medicines, and they are also non-expensive. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity through HRBC membrane stabilization, as well as the antimicrobial potential of fruit pulp extracts obtained from Aegle marmelos (A. marmelos). The antioxidant activity of the fruit pulp extracts was assessed using the DPPH assay. Various A. marmelos fruit pulp extracts viz., aqueous, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane, methanol and L-ascorbic acid were found to have IC50 values of 91.168 µg/mL, 153.22 µg/mL, 195.58 µg/mL, 164.741 µg/mL and 39.488 µg/mL, respectively, while for L-ascorbic acid (standard) it was 57.823 µg/mL. The anti-inflammatory activity of the fruit pulp extracts of aqueous, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane and methanol are also dependent on the concentrations. The hemp production (IC50) concentration was 99.761 µg/mL, 114.443 µg/mL, 167.423 µg/mL, 118.397 µg/mL and 23.244 µg/mL. Likewise, the antimicrobial activity of A. marmelos fruit pulp extracts demonstrated significant effects against clinical pathogens. Comparatively, the methanol fruit pulp extract of A. marmelos showed higher antimicrobial activity than that of the other four extracts; methanol fruit pulp extract contributed significantly to the development of antimicrobial properties. The findings of this study, thus, methanol fruit pulp extract, clearly showed that it had the strongest antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity when compared to the other four extracts.