PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF DOUEPIA TORTUOSA CAMB., A CRUCIFER ENDEMIC TO PAKISTAN

Douepia tortuosa (D. tortuosa) has not been evaluated for its pharmacological significance prior to this. This study was aimed to identify bioactive compounds occurring in water (AQE), methanol (ME), ethyl acetate (EAE) and n-hexane (HE) extracts of D. tortuosa and to evaluate its antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. The microscopic analysis of the plant powder presented characteristic starch granules and calcium oxalate crystals. The ME presented the best extraction yield value campared to the other solvents. Maximum soluble phenolics content, 793.24 mu g GAE/g was found in EAE. The extracts were screened out for the presence of bioactive compounds by using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The FT-IR spectrum of various extracts indicated the dominancy of N-H, CH, C=O, N-O and C-N functional groups. The GC-MS profiling indicated the presence of a spectrum of substantial medicinal compounds in various extracts including Squalene, Heptacosane, Cis-vaccenic acid, Octadecanoic acid, gamma-Sitosterol, vitamin E, Tetracontane, Palmitoleic acid and Dotriacontane. The ME was highly effective antibacterial agent against K. pneumoniae whereas, EAE showed strong antibacterial activity against A. baumannii and E. coli. The EAE and AQE were the best antifungal agents against A. flavus and A. niger. According to IC50 values the AQE (32.422 mu g/mL) and EAE (31.6895 mu g/mL) has significantly comparable antioxidant activity with standard ascorbic acid (26.917 mu g/mL). The plant can be explored in future for the isolation of antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer compounds with promising effects.