In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Profiling of Ipomoea Obscura Linn. Extracts

Abstract

Background: Ipomoea obscura Linn. has long been used as a medicinal plant for various therapeutic applications, and its phytochemical components may underlie its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the phytochemical composition and the in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties of the methanolic aerial stem extract of Ipomoea obscura.

Materials and Methods: The aerial stem parts of I. obscura were collected, verified, shade-dried, and extracted with methanol. A preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out to identify the major phytoconstituents, and the antioxidant activity was tested with the DPPH assay; the anti-inflammatory activity was determined by the protein denaturation inhibition method, and the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was assessed using the disc diffusion method.

Results: The methanolic extract contained phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and other phytoconstituents. The flavonoid content was 42.1 ± 2.0 mg QE/g. It showed good DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity, with maximum inhibition of 71.4% at 400 µg/mL. Against E. coli and S. aureus, the extract showed dose-dependent antibacterial activity, with maximum inhibition at 100 µg/mL, although it was less than that of amoxicillin.

Conclusion: The aerial stem extract of I. obscura in methanol showed promising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities, indicating its potential as a source of bioactive phytoconstituents. However, further research is needed to isolate the active compounds and verify their pharmacological effects.