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Biological Activities Of <i>Asparagus racemosus</i>
Abstract
Cytotoxic, antioxidant, tyrosinase inhibitory, antimicrobial activities of the crude ethanol extract of dry powdered roots of Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae) were investigated. The LC50 to brine shrimp was 2189.49 μg/ml; the EC50 for DPPH radical scavenging was 381.91 μg/ml; the IC50 for tyrosinase inhibition was 7.98 mg/ml. The extract was active at 5-20 mg/ml against various pathogenic microbial (16 species, 18 strains) using the agar dilution assay, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between 10-20 mg/ml for enteropathogens, the MIC between 5-20 mg/ml for dermatopathogens, and MIC = 10 mg/ml for a pneumonia causing bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. TLC and HPLC finger printing showed the presence of steroidsterpenes,
alkaloids and flavonoids.
Keywords: Asparagus racemosus, Antioxidant, Antityrosinase, Antimicrobial, Phytochemistry
African Journal of Trad, Comp and Alternative Medicine Vol. 5 (3) 2008: pp. 230-237