Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Antibacterial Activities of the Seeds of Mucuna pruriens (UTILIS)

Aim: To ascertain the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities of the extracts of seeds of Mucuna pruriens (utilis).

Study Design: The study was designed to test the inhibitory ability of the plant extract on edema and human pathogens and to test its antioxidant activity.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri. Imo state Nigeria, between March 2013 to September 2014.

Methodology: The seeds of M. pruriens were cracked, the testa were removed and the seeds were milled into fine powder with Thomas Willey milling machine and dissolved in ethanol for 48 hrs, this was filtered. The filtrate was concentrated with Rota evaporator at 40°C and then used for analysis. The effects of Mucuna pruriens (utilis) on the acute and chronic phases of inflammation were studied in carrageenan and formalin induced paw edema respectively. The anti-edema effect of these seeds was compared with diclofenac potassium 10 mg/kg orally. The antibacterial activity was performed by filter paper disc diffusion technique. The antioxidant activity of the seeds of M. pruriens was evaluated by reducing power test.

Results: Administration of M. pruriens (10 mg/kg) and diclofenac potassium (10 mg/kg) decreased the inflammation at the rate of 9.8% and 62.0% respectively and increase in dosage of M. pruriens (50 mg/kg) showed a decrease at the rate of 47.80% for acute inflammation and 38.80% for chronic inflammation. Thus the crude extracts exhibited significant activity in rats. The seeds were found to have high antioxidant activities. Extracts of the seeds of Mucuna pruriens exhibited strong antibacterial activities on all the tested organisms, Staphylococus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli. The lowest concentration of the seed extract that inhibited the visible growth of an organism after overnight incubation was 12.5 mg/ml for all tested organisms except for Klebsiella pneumonia which was 25.00 mg/ml. This indicates that M. pruriens seeds may be used against bacterial infections, inflammation and as antioxidant in herbal medical practice.