Comparison and bioevaluation of Piper longum fruit extracts.

Abstract

Solvent extracts were prepared from dried fruits of Piper longum and their antioxidant activities were evaluated. Out of the different extracts tested, the hot ethyl acetate extract and cold hexane: water extracts (1:1) showed better antioxidant activity. The screening of antimicrobial and anti tumor effects of piper longum showed the better efficacy of these two extracts. The anti tumor activity studies showed a dose dependant behaviuor of the extracts towards the leukaemic cell lines K562 .Among the three bacteria tested, hot ethyl acetate extract showed more potency against E coli than Bacillus subtilis and was found to be less active for Staphylococcos aureus. The antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti tumor effects were found to be higher for hot extracts than cold extracts. The chemical fingerprinting of the most active extract was also carried out using HPTLC. The present study paved way for the extraction procedure for better biologically active constituents of Piper longum.