Phytochemical, Botanical, Microbiological, Biochemical and Biotechnological Studies of Naregamia alata

The phytochemical compounds attributing to antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer properties of Naregamia alata leaf extracts were selected as the primary aim in this study. Phytochemical analysis were carried out for methanol, acetone, petroleum ether and water extracts. Minimal inhibitory concentration and antibacterial activity was determined against significant test bacteria causing nosocomial infections. Antioxidant activity was investigated using three different scavenging assays. Anticancer activity of the methanol extracts were evaluated in MCF 7 cell lines using apoptosis and DNA fragmentation studies. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids in higher level for methanol extracts of Naregamia alata. Free radical scavenging tests conducted in this study revealed the in vitro antioxidant properties of the Naregamia alata extract based on the obtained IC 50 values. Minimal inhibitory concentration of 400µg/ml and 500µg/ml was recorded for the test organisms. Antibacterial activity showed significant inhibitory zones ranging from 16mm to 21mm for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Anticancer potential of Naregamia alatai leaf extracts was confirmed by EtBr staining. Results showed that methanol extracts of Naregamia alatai were highly efficient at inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that DNA migrated as discrete bands and gave a ladder for the cells exposed with plant extracts which significantly considered to be a hall mark of apoptosis. In conclusion, the present findings emphasized the potential of Naregamia alatai as a resource for the discovery of novel antimicrobial and anticancer agents.