The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of aqueous, ethanolic and acetone extracts of different plant parts of Epipremnum aureum (leaves blades, petioles, stems and roots). Antimicrobial activity was carried out against Gram negative bacterium (Escherichia coli), Gram positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus), filamentous fungus (Aspergillus flavus) and yeast (Candida albicans). A. flavus was resistant to all extracts. Root extracted by acetone proved to be the most effective antimicrobial extract. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of acetone root extract of E. aureum against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans were 3, 5 and 9 mg/ml, respectively. The in vitro cytotoxicity of different concentrations of E. aureum acetone root extract was assayed against human liver cancer cell line (HEPG-2) and found that the most effective concentration was at 50 μg/ml and the IC50 value was 36.7 μg/ml. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used for phytochemical screening of acetone root extract. Twenty one organic compounds were detected with different retention times. They were carbohydrates, fatty acids, phenols, alcohols, vitamins, alkaloids and flavonoids. Patchoulol represented the highest percentage of phytochemicals followed by myristic and palmitic acids.
Key words: Epipremnum aureum, Antimicrobial activity, MIC, Cytotoxicity, Phytochemicals
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