Phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial and radical-scavenging properties of Acalypha manniana leaves

Acalypha manniana (Euphorbiaceae) is a plant popularly used in Cameroon and in several parts of Africa for the treatment of various microbial diseases like diarrhea and skin infections. The present study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial and radical-scavenging activities of A. manniana methanol leaf extract and its fractions. The methanol extract was partitioned into hexane, ethyl acetate and residual fractions and phytochemical analysis was conducted using standard methods. The broth microdilution method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity against nine bacterial species and four dermatophyte species. The free radical scavenging activities of the methanol extract and its fractions were evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The results obtained showed that A. manniana contains alkaloids, tannins, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenols and steroids. The methanol extract as well as the hexane, ethyl acetate and residual fractions exhibited both antibacterial and antidermatophytic activities that varied between the microbial species (MIC = 0.12 - 2.04 mg/mL). These tested samples also showed high radical-scavenging activities (RaS50 = 3.34 - 4.80 μg/mL) when compared with vitamin C used as reference antioxidant (RaS50 = 1.74 μg/mL). These findings provide evidence that the studied plant possesses antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and may act as potential antioxidant for biological systems susceptible to free radical-mediated reactions.