Anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities of <i>Saba thompsonii</i> fruit extracts

Abstract

Aqueous extracts of the fruits of Saba thompsonii are used topically in ethnomedicine in Ghana for healthy wound healing and wound  repair. The objective of this study was to comparatively assess the methanolic and the diethylether extracts of the plant phytochemicals  for three bioactivities indicative of wound repairs. Using standard laboratory assays involving broth dilution, carrageenan-induced foot  swelling of 7-day old chicks and DPPH radical scavenging, this study assessed the anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant  activities of the methanolic and the diethylether extracts of the fruits of Saba thompsonii. Findings demonstrate that the methanolic  extract of Saba thompsonii is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that suppresses carrageenan induced swelling of chick feet dose- dependently (with concentrations that ranges from 30 mg/kg through 100 mg/kg to 300 mg/kg). The methanolic extract demonstrated  broad-spectrum activity against a panel of clinical isolates of bacterial and fungi pathogens in vitro (with MIC ranges of 25-100 mg/mL).  Furthermore, the methanolic extract displayed a higher overall anti-oxidant status with demonstrable higher free radical scavenging  action in the DPPH radical scavenging assay (IC₅₀ of 416.8) and in the H₂O₂ scavenging assay (IC₅₀ of 562.1). This methanolic extract’s  enhanced bioactivity likely resulted from its higher phytochemical content relative to that of the diethylether extract. Altogether, the  study supports the ethnomedicinal use of the aqueous extract of the fruits of Saba thompsonii for wound repair.