Exploring the Biological Potential of the Methanolic Crude Extract of Capsicum Frutescens Root

Abstract

This study examined the biological activity of the methanolic crude extract of Capsicum frutescens (C. frutescens) root against five microorganisms, three of which were bacteria strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Eschericia coli and Salmonela typhi) and the remaining were fungi (Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger). The extract of the plant’s root was obtained by merceration. The root extract was observed to display significant antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms screened, the highest activity was observed at a concentration of 200 mg/mL. Among the five microorganisms screened, S.aureus and E.coli were the most susceptible. The antimicrobial activity decreased as the concentration decreased with S. typhi, C. albicans and A. niger exhibiting resistance at the lowest concentration (6.25 mg/mL). Furthermore the root extract was found to contain a significant amount of total phenolic (1.046 ± 0.021 Gallic acid equivalent (GAE mg/g)) and total flavonoid content (0.75 ± 0.25 (RU mg/g)). In addition, the root extract showed a high radical scavenging activity of 91.1% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, indicating the root’s potential antioxidant properties. The results of this work reveals that the methanolic crude extract of the C. frutescens root is a potential natural source of antimicrobial agent with the phenolic and flavonoid content potentially contributing to its activity. Further research into the isolation of the active principles in C. frutescens root is vital to ascertain the individual principles responsible for the biological activity in this plant part.