Abstract

The stem bark of Calophyllum inophyllum was cold extracted with methanol and dichloromethane. Crude extracts and the column fractions isolated from methanol extract were tested for antimicrobial activity against a number of bacteria and fungi. The crude extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against most of the test organisms while the eight column fractions of crude methanol extract exhibited mild to moderate antimicrobial activity. The crude extracts showed good activity against bacteria B. megaterium, and E. coli but no activity against the fungus A. niger and A. flavus. The column fraction C-3 gave no significant activity while the fraction C-4, C-5 and C-6 showed moderate activity. The column fraction C-7 showed highest activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa but moderate activity against E. coli and B. megaterium. None of the column fraction showed any activity against the two fungi that were incorporated in the experiment. Crude extract, column fraction C-4 & column fraction C-5 of crude methanol extract were screened for antitumor property using brine shrimp lethality bio-assay. The results obtained were compared with those for a standard anticancer drug, vincristine sulphate. The two fractions, C-4 and C-5 exhibited LC50 values 2.2 μg/mL and 1.25 μg/mL, respectively and thus demonstrated their significant cytotoxic activity. Antioxidant activity of the crude extract of C. inophyllum was determined on the basis of their scavenging activity of the stable DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) free radical. The results obtained were compared with those for a standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid and BHT. The IC50 value ofcrude methanol extract indicated the potent antioxidant activity of the plant and the activity may be due to the presence of antioxidant principles in the extract.