Antifungal, Antioxidant and Phytochemical Screening of Melia azedarach Flower Extracts by Using Different Solvents

Objective: To investigate the antifungal, antioxidant and phytochemical screening of Melia azedarach flowers by using different solvents.

Materials and Methods: Antifungal activity was experimented against three fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus). Antifungal activity of extract was measured by using agar well diffusion and serial microdilution methods. Antioxidant activity has been measured by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrezyl [DPPH] free radical scavenging assay. Phytochemical screening was done by doing different tests for presence of saponins, anthraquninone glycosides, cardioactive glycosides, phenolic glycosides, cynogenic glycosides, phenols, alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids.

Results: Methanolic extract of Melia azedarach flowers showed highest antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus fungus with zone of inhibition of 19.6±0.66 mm. Dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts showed significant antifungal activity with 18±0.57 mm, 18.6±0.88 mm and 18±0.66 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. N-butanol extract showed lower antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger with 13.6±0.88 mm zone of inhibition. Dichloromethane and methanolic extracts exhibited excellent minimum inhibitory concentration against Aspergillus flavus (13.909±1.5 µg/ml). Antioxidant activity has been measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Only ethanolic extract of Melia azedarach flowers showed antioxidant activity with value of IC50 = 50±2.0. While dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and methanol showed no antioxidant activity. Phytochemical screening showed presence of saponins, anthraquninone glycosides, cardiaoactive glycosides, phenolic glycosides, cynogenic glycosides, phenols, alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids.

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that leaf extracts of Melia azedarach extracts possess excellent antifungal activity and have potential to reduce problems of fungal pathogens.