Phytochemical screening and In vitro evaluation of antioxidant & antimicrobial activity of Gymnema sylvestre

The present study reports in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of leaf and stem extracts of Gymnema sylvestre. The water and water: ethanol (1:1) extracts of Gymnema sylvestre stem and leaves were screened for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The phytochemical analysis of the above extracts was also studied to check presence of active phytochemicals like Tannins, Flavonoids, Terpenoids, Saponins, Carbohydrates, Glycosides and Phenolics. Antioxidant activity of extracts was evaluated using butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) as standards. Antioxidant activity of stem extract was good in 2, 2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), -carotene bleaching and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Determination of the total phenolic content by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent indicated higher phenolic content in leaf extract.The antimicrobial activities of samples were investigated against eight bacterial strains. All the samples exhibited prominent activity against Pr.mirabilis, B. subtilis and P. asplenii. A moderate activity was indicated by the stem extract against P. aeruginosa.