HYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GRAPE LEAF (CITRUS X PARADISI L.)

HYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GRAPE LEAF (Citrus x paradisi L.)

CHAPTER ONE

Over few decades, the role of medicinal plants as a primary tool in preservation of health and management of diseases is realized with great concern. This results mainly from the use of drug molecules that produce harmful side effects, which are comparatively minimal in drugs of plants origin (Ajoyet al., 2011).

A large portion of the world population, especially in developing countries depends on the traditional system of medicine for treating a variety of diseases. Although modern medicines may be available in these countries, herbal medicines have often maintained popularity for historical and cultural reasons. Medicinal plants form the backbone of traditional medicine in the last few decades with intense pharmacological studies. These medicinal plants are regarded as potential source of new compound in drug development (Vindohet al., 2013).

Plants contain many bioactive chemical substances that produce definite physiological and biochemical actions in the body; these bioactive constituents are known as phytochemicals. They include alkaloids, tannins flavonoids, phenolic compounds etc. (Adesuyiet al., 2012).

Grapefruit (Citrus xparadisi) is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour to semi-sweet fruit. Grapefruit is a hybrid originating in Barbados as an accidental cross between two introduced species, sweet orange(Citrus sinesis) and pomelo or shaddock (Citrus maxima), both of which were introduced from Asia in the seventeenth century(Carrington et al.,2003).

Grapefruit belongs to the citrus genius and the familyRutaceae. Other members of the genius include oranges, lemons, limes, citrons, pomelos (pummelo, pommelo) and mandarins (tangerines). Grape contains many bioactive constituents such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and anthocyanin and stilbenederivative of resveratrol.

It has been used as a folk medicine in many countries as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiviral, astringent and preservative. It has also been used for cancer prevention, cellular regeneration, lowering cholesterol, cleansing, detoxification, heart health maintenance, lupus nephritis, rheumatoid, arthritis and weight loss (Ojewale, 2004).

Antioxidants are agents which scavenge the free radicals and prevent the damage caused by them. They can greatly reduce the damage due to oxidants by neutralising the free radicals before they attack the cells and prevent oxidation to lipids, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates and DNA. They play important roles in various fields such as medicine, food industries and others. Antioxidant based drug formulations are used for the prevention and treatment of complex diseases like atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer(Jonathan et al., 2012). Natural antioxidants that are present in herbs and spices are responsible for inhibiting or preventing the deleterious consequences of oxidative stress. Spices and herbs contain free radical scavengers like polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic compounds (Jonathan et al., 2012). Most citrus plants are medicinally very important and show variety of biological effects because they are rich in flavonoids (flavone, flavonol and flavanone), terpenes, carotenes and coumarines which are responsible for their antimicrobial activity (Tepeet al.,2005). Hence, grapefruit exhibits very potent pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties (Ojewale, 2004) and thus is being studied.

The aims/objective of this study is to determine the phytochemicals present in the leaf extract of grapefruit, the antioxidant properties and as well as the anti-microbial activity of the leaf extract of grapefruit in order to investigate the bioactive compounds responsible for its medicinal importance.

With the recent development by researchers on the potency of Citrus xparadisi (L.) in the prevention and treatment of ailments, there is need to evaluate the components for its medicinal properties.

The scope of this study covers the identification of the phytochemicals present in the leaves of grapefruit (i.e. alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, tannins and saponins), and also the determination of the antioxidant properties and the assay of the antimicrobial activity of the leaf extract of grapefruit (Citrus xparadisi L.).

The outcome of this work encourages the use and processing of grapefruit leaf (Citrus xparadisi L.) in the development of drugs for the treatment of diseases like cancer, diarrhoea and also its usefulness in herbal medicine.

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