"MORUS RUBRA L: “Phytochemical Screening, Anti- Bacterial, Antioxidant and Anti-Hyperglycemic Activity Determination"

Abstract

Morus rubra L (MR), commonly known as red mulberry and is used as anti-phlogistic, diuretic, dysentery, expectorant and antidiabetic in the folk medicine. It belongs to the Moraceae family consists of a number of edible plants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial and anti-hyperglycaemic activity of ethanolic maceration and Soxhlet fruit extracts of Morus rubra MR. Fruit extracts were prepared using cold maceration and Soxhlet extraction methods with 95% ethanol. Preliminary phytochemical analysis for the important bioactive constituents from both Soxhlet and maceration ethanolic extracts were carried out. The results of phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, monosaccharides, reducing sugar, hexose sugar, galactose, amino acid, protein, neutral lipids, saturated fatty acids, terpenoid, glycosides included anthraquinones and coumarin glycosides, alkaloid, phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, tannins and the absence of polysaccharides, pentose sugar, saponins, cardiac and cyanogenic glycosides, free fatty acid, steroids as well as volatile oil in red mulberry. The antibacterial activity of the ethanolic Soxhlet extract was determined by using broth tube dilution method to find out the relative MIC and MBC. For antimicrobial screening, Morica Rubra Soxhlet extract had no inhibitory or bactericidal effect against E. coli S. aureus. However, it showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus with equivalent MIC and MBC identified at the concentration of 500 mg/ml, 250 mg/ml and 125 mg/ml.The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were carried out to identify the IC 50 value and the total amount of phenolic content of MR. The DPPH radical scavenging assay and total phenolic test were shown positive for the antioxidant activity of the MR. According to the results obtained, the IC50 was calculated for the BHT as well as MR extract, the value was 84.04µg/ml and 182.82µg/ml, respectively. However, it can be concluded that the MR are exhibiting antioxidant effect as it shows positive results for the Total Phenolic Content (TPC) as well as DPPH scavenging method. Furthermore, the anti-hyperglycaemic activity of the ethanolic maceration extract was carried out in the alloxan monohydrate induced diabetic rats. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, ethanolic fruit extracts of MR exhibited dose-depended antidiabetic activity. Finally it is concluded that Ethanolic fruit extracts of MR exhibited antioxidant, partial antimicrobial and significant antidiabetic activity in preclinical experiments.