BURCE, J.M., MARCELLANA, W.B, & TUANDO, C.M.

Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Rizal Technological University, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong city
ABSTRACT
Qualitative analysis of the compounds of medicinal importance in Basella rubra Linn was performed on its ethanol, methanol, and aqueous extracts from leaves and stems. Phytochemical
investigation of this plant yielded more than seven (7) different compounds; mainly cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates, and reducing sugars. Highest
yield of cardiac glycosides in ethanol extracts leaves and stems, tannins in methanol and ethanol extracts of leaves and stems, respectively, terpenoids in aqueous and ethanol extracts of
stems, carbohydrates in aqueous extracts of stems and reducing sugars were found in aqueous and ethanol extracts of leaves. These secondary metabolites showed inhibitory effects in all
test organisms. The antimicrobial properties of alugbati leaves and stems extracts were tested against Gram-positive bacteria ( Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureaus) and Gram-negative
bacteria (Proteus vulgaris Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhii) and pure cultures of fungi such as Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Rhizopus stolonifers.
In this study, the results of the various extracts revealed that the maximum activities were exhibited by methanol and aqueous extracts in stems against Salmonella typhii and Proteus vulgaris
whereas, aqueous extracts in leaves showed no inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both leaves and stems of ethanol extracts possessed the highest
inhibition for Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhii. Alugbati leaves and stems extracts showed antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Rhizopus stolonifers. A. niger
has the highest mean inhibition in ethanol extract of stems, and least inhibition in ethanol extract of leaves. No activity was seen in aqueous, and methanol extracts in leaves except Candida
albicans and Rhizopus stolonifers in ethanol extracts of leaves.

INTRODUCTION Table 1. Phytochemical analysis of Basella rubra Linn.

Basella rubra (Malabar nightshade leaves or alugbati), a perennial herb (Alugbati).
is abundant and can be found in the backyards in the Philippines. It has
spread throughout the tropical countries and is one of the best tropical Phytochemical Aqueous
spinach widely adapted to a variety of soils (Omar,2004). Alugbati is a Screening Extract
succulent, branched, smooth, twinning, herbaceous vine, several meters Stem Leaves
in length. Leaves are fleshy, ovate or heart-shaped, 5-12cm long,
stalked tapering to a pointed tip with a cordate base. Basella rubra had - +
1. Cardiac-Glycosides
been studied to exhibit antimicrobial property against many different test
organisms, with an exception to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Sen et.al, 2. Saponins ++ ++
2010). It has an emollient and astringent properties which soften, soothe, 3. Tannins + ++
and correct dryness and sealing of skin. It also constricts body tissues ++ ++
4. Flavonoids
and effective in stopping the flow of blood and other secretion. A
phytochemical analysis of alugbati is necessary in determining the
5. Terpenoids + +++
essential components which makes the Alugbati a very important plant in 6. Carbohydrates +++ + ++
pharmaceutical industry. The objectives of the study are:to qualitatively + +++
7. Reducing sugars
screen the phytochemical properties of Basella rubra, to determine the Legend:
effect of using different solvent in the Phytochemical properties of (-) Negative (+) Slight (++) Moderate
Basella rubra and to determine potential antimicrobial activity from the Source: Table 1. Ashutosh, M., Kumar, P., Ranjan, M., Susil, K., Ashutosh, M
2009).Phytochemical Screening of Ichnocarpus Frutescens
leaves and stems of Basella rubra. Plant Parts, International Journal of Pharmacognosy and
Phytochemical Research,1(1): 5-7.
In this study, table 2 shown the amount of aqueous
crude extracts yielded from the various solvents. This
MATERIALS AND METHODS result shown that the different solvent used in the
extraction method affects changes in the content of the
extracts. It was also observed that the effects were
higher in methanol and aqueous extracts and less in
ethanol extracts. This indicates that the active
constituents of the plant parts have more ability to
dissolve in methanol and aqueous solvent than ethanol
solvents used in this study. Though ethanol solvent
produced lower amount of extract they exhibited
relatively higher effect than aqueous and methanol
solvent which was obtained in lower quantity. It indicates
that the amount of yield does not always influence in
inhibiting the growth of bacteria but the active
compounds found in the extract play a major role
(Jeyaseelan et.al, 2011). A single solvent extraction may
not be enough to exhaustively extract certain compounds
responsible for the activity (Hebsibah & DhanaRajan,
2010).
Table 2. Average recovery of different solvent extracts from 100g of
alugbati leaves and stems
All of the three extracts of Basella rubra Linn. showed
varying degrees of antimicrobial activities against the test
organisms, and their effectiveness were assessed by the
Ethanol Methanol diameter of inhibition zones. In this study, the results of the
Extract Extract various extracts revealed that the maximum activities were
Stem Leaves Stem Leaves exhibited by methanol and aqueous extracts in stems
against Salmonella typhii, (29.67mm in stem and in leaves
+++ +++ ++ ++
14.33) and Proteus vulgaris (22.67mm) whereas, aqueous
extracts in leaves showed no inhibitory activity against
++ ++ +++ +++ Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both
+ +++ +++ +++ leaves and stems of ethanol extracts possessed the highest
++ ++ ++ ++
inhibition for Bacillus subtilis (19.67 mm) and Salmonella
typhii (17.67mm). The results indicated that the different
+++ ++ ++ ++
extracts of alugbati have inhibitory effect on the growth of
+ ++ + the test organisms due to the active compounds present
++ +++ ++ ++
(Table 3).The immense inhibition of aqueous extract in
stem may link to the highest presence of carbohydrates in
as recorded in Table 1 and the highest presence of Cardiac
(+++) Frequent
glycosides of both leaves and stems of ethanol extracts.
The highest occurrence of tannins and saponins may
constitute to the inhibition of methanol extracts of both
leaves and stems. In Table 4, Aspergillus niger has the
highest mean inhibition of 10.33 mm in ethanol extract of
stems, and least inhibition in ethanol extract of leaves. No
activity was seen in aqueous, and methanol extracts in
leaves except Candida albicans (3 mm) and Rhizopus
stolonifers (3.67 mm) in ethanol extracts of leaves. There
are several reasons for the lack of antifungal activity in the
extract, either the plant part used or the type of extraction
might have resulted in the lack of activity in this study or the
time of collection of herbal material and climate, which
might, in turn, affect the amount of active constituents in the
plant material (Obasi et. al, 2010).
Figure 1. Comparison of different solvent system extracted from the leaves
and stems of Basella rubra Linn. on the inhibitory activities of Different
microorganisms

Different solvent extract Leaves Amount Stems Amount

(mL) (mL)
Aqueous 320mL 290mL
Ethanol 120mL 70mL
Figure 2. Effects of Inhibitory activities different extracts -Aqueous, Ethanol,
Methanol 150mL 180mL and Methanol of leaf and stem in Different microorganisms

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Qualitative analysis of the compounds of Basella rubra Linn were
performed on ethanol, methanol and aqueous extract of leaves and
stems. The medicinal value of these plants lies in some chemical
substances that have a definite physiological action on the human body.
The most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are
alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds (Hill, 1952).
Phytochemical investigation of this plant has yielded more than 7
different compounds; mainly cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins,
flavonoids, carbohydrates, and terpenoids, as shown in Table 1.
CONCLUSION
Alugbati demonstrate different active compounds such as cardiac
glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids,
carbohydrates and reducing sugars. However, the presence of
these compounds varies significantly depending on the solvents
used, some solvents showed extreme occurrence of specific
compounds and some solvents had minor presence. Furthermore,
the antimicrobial properties of Alugbati have shown substantially
high in all test organisms however depending on the solvents
being used. Aqueous extract inhibited some test organism but RECOMMENDATION
does not demonstrate consistency since aqueous leaves is the
only extracts that showed inhibition. These results might be
The phytochemical substances present in alugbati leaf
because different solvents extracted different bioactive
compounds, and we used polar solvents so that, in effect it only and stem should be isolated and purified to obtain their
extracted polar compounds. In addition to that these bioactive maximum therapeutic potentials. The sensitivity to other
compounds may represent the distinction between the inhibition of bacterial strains in Alugbati extract may also be used to
bacterial and fungal strains especially the inhibition it demonstrate
further analyze the potential of the extract as
in a very resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
antimicrobial agent. Other solvents are also
Also the experiment provides some scientific justification for the recommended for the extraction process because we
utilization of the stems and leaves extracts from alugbati to treat only used polar solvents and other non polar solvents
infectious diseases. However, it is important to be further purified extract non polar compounds. It is important to further
through antibacterial activity guided fractionation to isolate,
study the Basella rubra efficacy as an antimicrobial
characterize and elucidate the compound responsible for
antimicrobial activity. agent by isolating specific compounds.