Evaluation of in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the various parts of Benincasa hispida

Evaluation of in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the various parts of Benincasa hispida

2012

E06342

Benincasa hispida (wax gourd), a fruit that consumed by many Asians, belongs to the family curcubitaceae. The present study was under taken to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the pulp, peel and seed extracts of wax gourd. The various parts of wax gourd were extracted with water. Antioxidant estimation of the extracts were analysed for the total phenolic content (TPC) measured using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent assay. The antioxidant activity (AO) of various parts of wax gourd were evaluated using ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and beta -carotene bleaching assays. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was tested against six Gram-positive and seven Gram-negative bacteria, one yeast and two mold using the disc diffusion method. The seed extract of wax gourd showed the highest TPC (207.9 mg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract weight) while AO of peel, pulp and seed of wax gourd were 21.73, 26.71 and 35.06 mM Trolox equivalent (TE)/g extract weight, respectively as determined by FRAP assay. As for EC50 values of DPPH assay were 165.42 (seed), 195.17 (pulp) and 392.21 micro g/ml (peel). AO based on beta -carotene bleaching assay were 34.39% (peel), 76.27% (pulp) and 90.22% (seed). The various parts of wax gourd extracts as determined by all AO assays were correlated with TPC and the value varies from -0.999 <= r2 <=0.874. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts showed an inhibition towards Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Serratia liquefaciens, Cronobacter muytjensii, Shigella boydii and Serratia marcescens) compared to Gram-positive bacteria, however, there are no inhibition towards yeast and mold for all extracts. Results may suggested that seed extract of wax gourd possesed strong antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Hence, they had the potential as natural preservatives in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for applications.

4(4):1367-1376, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMTECH RESEARCH

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