© 2018 JETIR August 2018, Volume 5, Issue 8 www.jetir.

org (ISSN-2349-5162)

Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Sida

acuta Burm. F. and its Antibacterial Activity
R.P. Senthilkumar1, V. Bhuvaneshwari*1, V.Malayaman2, R. Ranjithkumar1 and S. Sathiyavimal1.
1
Department of Biotechnology, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
2
Departments of Botany, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

ABSTRACT: Sida acuta is one of the Indian medicinal plants which belong to the family Malvaceae. The whole plant is reported to have
many biological activities such as anthelmintic, antiemetic, demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, stomachic, diaphoretic, antipyretic and wound
healing properties. Therefore main aim of the present study is to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and the antibacterial activity of the
aqueous extract of Sida acuta. The preliminary phytochemical screening has shown the presence of alkaloids, steriods, flavonoids, phenols,
terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli at the
maximum tested concentration. The aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta have shown moderate anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus
aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From this study, was concluded that, Sida acuta has rich phytochemical compounds, .thus the
presence of these secondary metabolites attributed to treat various diseases.

Keywords: Sida acuta, Aqueous extract, Phytoconstituents, Antibacterial activity.

1. Introduction
Traditional use of medicine is recognized as a way to learn about the potential for future medicines. Plants are tremendous source for
the discovery of new products of medicinal value for drug development. Many compounds are secondary metabolites which generally involved
in plant adaptation to environmental stress conditions. Today several distinct chemicals derived from plants are important drugs used in one or
more countries in the world. Many of the drugs are simple synthetic modifications or copies of the naturally obtained substances. A vast number
of natural, plant-based extracts and chemicals proposed to have beneficial effects are present in India.
Phyto is the Greek word for plants; chemical compounds that arise naturally in plants are called phytochemicals. These phytochemical
compounds protect themselves against environmental threats (disease, pollution, insects, etc.,). Plants are used throughout the world traditionally
for home remedies over the counter drug products and raw substances for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics industries and represent a substantial
proportion of the world drug market. It is therefore significant to establish their quality. Phytochemical evaluation is one of the tools for quality
assessment, which includes preliminary phytochemical screening. Use of chromatography for standardization of plant products was introduced
by World Health Organization (WHO) and is accepted as a strategy for identification and evaluation of the quality of plant medicines [1].
Natural products from microbial sources have been used as the primary source of antibiotics, but with the increasing recognition of
plant-based herbal medicines as an alternative form of human health care industry. The screening of medicinal plants for active compounds has
become very popular [2]. A more number of medicinal plants and their purified constituents have shown beneficial therapeutic potentials. Nair
and Chanda [3] discussed about the antimicrobial compounds from plants and validate their uses with composition. Thus, these medicinal plants
are of extreme importance to the health of individuals and communities. On the other side, the chemical substances in plant produces some
physiological action on the individual. The most important of these phytoconstituents of plants are alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic
compounds [4].

1.1. Sida acuta Burm.f.

Sida acuta Burm.f. (Family of Malvaceae) is an erect perennial shrub found throughout the hotter parts of India and Nepal [5]. It is
believed to be originated in Central America and it is considered as a weed in some areas and the whole plant of Sida acuta is widely used in
traditional medicine [6]. The bark is smooth, greenish, the root is thin, long, cylindrical and very rough; leaves are lance late, nearly glabrous,
peduncles equal to the petioles (Fig. 1), seeds are smooth and black; the flowers are yellow, solitary or in pairs. In Indian traditional knowledge
of medicinal plants, the whole plant is reported to have many biological activities such as anti-microbial, anthelmintic, anti-emetic, demulcent,
diuretic, aphrodisiac, stomachic, diaphoretic, anti-pyretic and wound healing properties. The root of S. acuta is extensively used as a stomachic,
diaphoretic and antipyretic [7]. Scientific research on the leaf of this plant reveals that it possesses many beneficial plant phytochemicals and its
leaf extract has a great potential to be used in biological applications.

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Fig. 1. Habit of Sida acuta

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Angiosperms
Class : Dicotityledanay
Order : Malvales
Family : Malvaceae
Genus : Sida

Species : acuta

The plant S. acuta is a very common weed which is also useful in ayurveda. It is used in the treatment of malaria, diarrhea, asthma,
headache, cold, fever, skin diseases, urinary disease, ulcer, snake bite, facial paralysis, anti-fertility agent and sedative [8-10]. The juice of the
leaves is boiled in oil and applied to testicular swellings and in elephantiasis. In the Philliphines, leaves are employed for making poultices for
sores and anticancer activity [11].
The present study deals with preliminary phytochemical analysis of the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta and its antibacterial properties.
1.2. Target microorganisms
1.2.1. Staphylococcus aureus
S. aureus is a Gram-positive round shaped bacterium. S. aureus has long been recognized as one of the most important bacteria that
cause disease in humans. It is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections such as abscesses (boils), furuncles, and cellulitis. Although
most staph infections are not serious, S. aureus can cause serious infections such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, or bone and joint
infections [12].
1.2.2. Bacillus subtilis
B. subtilis is a Gram-positive round shaped bacterium. B. subtilis strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food
poisoning in their hosts, and are occasionally accountable for product recalls due to food contamination [13].
1.2.3. Escherichia coli
E. coli is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in
the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food
poisoning in their hosts and are occasionally responsible for product recalls due to food contamination. Several different E. coli strains can cause
diverse intestinal and extraintestinal diseases by means of virulence factors that affect a wide range of cellular processes [14].
1.2.4. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
P. aeruginosa is a common Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans and
act as a species of considerable medical importance. P. aeruginosa is a multidrug resistant pathogen recognized for its ubiquity, it’s intrinsically
advanced antibiotic resistance mechanisms and its association with serious illnesses, especially hospital-acquired infections such as ventilator-
associated pneumonia and various sepsis syndromes. P. aeruginosa also cause eye infections in users of extended-wear contact lenses
[15].

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1. Collection of Plant Material
The Sida acuta Brum.f plant was collected from Maruthamalai hill, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The collected plant was identified at
Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India with the authentication number BSI/SRC/5/23/2016/TECH/282.
2.2. Preparation of Aqueous Leaf Extract of S. acuta
About 10g of fresh S. acuta leaf was rinsed thoroughly with running tap water and followed by distilled water in order to remove soil
and other bound particles. The leaf extract was prepared by putting 10 g of finely cut leaves in 100 mL of sterile distilled water and then boiled
for 10 min at 60 °C. Then, the solution was removed from the heat source and left at room temperature. Following this step, the obtained extract
was then filtered through a normal filter paper followed by Whatman No.1 filter paper. The plant extract was kept in refrigerator at 4ºC for
further experiments.
2.3. Qualitative Phytochemical Analysis of Aqueous Leaf Extract of S. acuta
Phytochemical components of the aqueous leaf extracts of S. acuta were screened using methods outlined by Harborne (1984), Evans
(1998) and Sofowora (2005). The components analyzed were Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins, Phenol, Tannins, Steroids, Anthroquinone,
Terpinoids, Phlobatannins and Cardiac glycosides [16-17].
2.3.1. Test for Alkaloids (Mayer’s test): Alkaloid solution produces white yellowish precipitate when few drops of Mayer’s reagents are added.
2.3.2. Test for Flavonoids (Shinoda’s test): About 2 ml of aqueous solution of the extract was treated with 1 ml of 10% ammonium hydroxide
solution. Yellow fluorescence indicates the presence of flavonoids.
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2.3.3. Test for Saponins (Frothing test): About 10ml of the aqueous extract was mixed with 5 ml of distilled water and shaken vigorously for a
stable persistent froth.
2.3.4. Test for Phenols (Ferric chloride test): About 5 ml extract was added to few drops of neutral 5% ferric chloride solution. A dark green
color indicates the presence of phenolic compounds.
2.3.5. Test for Tannins (Ferric Chloride test): One ml of water and 1-2 drops of 0.1% ferric chloride solution was added with 1 ml of aqueous
extract of S. acuta and the blue color observed indicates the presence of gallic tannins and the green black color indicates the presence of
catecholic tannins.
2.3.6. Test for Steroids (sulphuric acid test): Two ml of acetic anhydride was added to 5 ml aqueous extract with 2 ml H2SO4. The colour
change from violet to green or blue confirms the presence of steroids in sample.
2.3.7. Test for Terpenoids (Salkowski test): About 5 ml of leaf extract was mixed in 2 ml of chloroform, and 3 ml of concentrated H 2SO4 was
carefully added to form a layer. A reddish brown coloration at the interface showed positive results for the presence of terpenoids.
2.3.8. Test for Cardiac glycosides (Keller-Killani test): About 5 ml of aqueous extract was treated with 2ml of glacial acetic acid containing
one drop of ferric chloride solution. This mixture was underlayed with 1 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid. A brown ring at the interface
indicates a deoxysugar characteristic of cardenolides. A violet ring may appear below the brown ring, while in the acetic acid layer, a greenish
ring may form just gradually throughout the thin layer.
2.3.9. Test for Anthroquinone (Bontruger’s test): About 3 ml of aqueous extract was shaken with 3 ml of benzene, filtered and 5 ml of 10%
ammonia solution was added to the filtrate. The mixture was shaken and the presence of a pink, red or violet colour in the ammonical (lower)
phase indicates the presence of free anthraquinones.
2.3.10. Test for Phlobatannins: (hydrochloric acid test): Deposition of a red precipitate when 2 ml of extract was boiled with 1 ml of 1%
aqueous hydrochloric acid was used as evidence for the presence of phlobatannins.
2.4. Preparation of Bacterial Inoculum
The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacterium
Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) were pre-cultured in Nutrient Broth (NB) over night in a rotary shaker at
37°C, centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 5 min and the cell density was standardized spectrophotometrically (A610 nm).

2.5. Anti-bacterial Assay

The anti-bacterial activities of aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta was tested against both Gram positive and Gram negative human
pathogens by the standard well diffusion method. After solidification, the test human pathogens were seeded into respective medium by spread
plate method with 10 μL of 24h old respective bacterial culture at 10 5 cells/mL cultures of bacteria grown in nutrient broth. Three wells of 5 mm
diameter were made on pre-incubated nutrient agar plates using gel puncture. Each well was loaded with different volumes such as 20μL, 40μL
and 60μL of the prepared aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta solution using micropipette. The plates were then incubated at 37°C for 24h. The
inhibition zone around the well was measured in millimeter and recorded. Amoxicillin (Hi-Media) was used as the positive controls against test
bacterium to compare the efficacy of the test samples.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Sida acuta
The preliminary photochemical screening of the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta showed the presence of following various
phytoconstituents (Table 1).
The results showed the presence of alkaloids, steriods, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. However, there was
absence of tannins, saponins, anthroquinones and phlobatannins. Raimi coworkers [18] also reported that the phytoconstituents such as alkaloids,
flavonoids, terpenoids and phenolics were observed in the S. acuta leaf sample and in contrast to our study they observed the presence of tannins,
saponins. The chloroform and ethanolic extract of S. acuta showed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, phytosterols, saponins and fixed oils
[10].
The study of Richa coworkers [19] indicated the presence of high amounts of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and glycosides in
methanolic leaf extract of S. acuta. Presence of these phytoconstituents in S. acuta showed excellent anti-bacterial and anti-malarial properties
[20-21].

Table 1: Qualitative analysis of the phytoconstituents

S.No Phytoconstituents Aqueous leaf extract of Sida acuta
1 Alkaloids Positive
2 Flavonoids Positive
3 Saponins Negative
4 Phenols Positive
5 Tannins Negative
6 Steroids Positive
7 Anthroquinones Negative
8 Terpenoids Positive
9 Phlobatannins Negative
10 Cardiac glycosides Positive

3.2. Anti-bacterial activity of aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta

The anti-bacterial activity of the prepared aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta against Gram positive and Gram-negative pathogens
investigated using standard Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) method at different concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 µL were shown in Table.2. Significant
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anti-bacterial properties were obtained against the tested gram positive and negative bacterial pathogens when compared with positive control.
The diameter of inhibition zones increased when there was increase in the concentration of the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta against the test
pathogenic bacteria.

Table 2: Anti-bacterial activity of aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta

Zone of Inhibition (mm)

Aqueous Leaf Extract of S. acuta Reference

S. No Bacterial Strains
Drug
20 µL 40µL 60µL
1 B. subtilis 08 11 14 09
2 S. aureus 07 10 13 07
3 E. coli 08 12 15 09
4 P. aeruginosa 08 09 11 08

The maximum zone of inhibition was observed against B. subtilis and E. coli at the maximum tested concentration of 60 µL. The
aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta have shown moderate anti-bacterial activity against S. aureus and relatively less activity against P. aeruginosa.
Figure 2 showed anti-bacterial activity of aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta against all the four tested human pathogens.

Figure 2: Anti-bacterial Activities of aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta

It was evident from the figure 2 that while increasing the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta concentration an increasing zone of inhibition
was observed against the growth of human pathogens. However, prepared plant extract was showed better anti-bacterial activity against B.
subtills and E. coli. Biologically active phytoconstituents are present in S. acuta leaf extract and its showed excellent anti-bacterial properties
against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis and Plasmodium falciparum [20-21].The standard drug Amoxicillin also
showed anti-bacterial activity against all tested bacterial pathogens. In support to our reports, Damintoti coworkers [22] have also proved the
alkaloids had a good antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms. In the agar-well diffusion assay, highest inhibition zone diameters
were recorded with Gram-positive bacteria.

4. Conclusion
In the present study the photochemical components of alkaloids, steriods, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides were
present in the aqueous extract of S. acuta. Biologically safe, eco‐friendly and active drug and effective as antibacterial agent. Usually medicinal
plants contain numerous phytochemical compounds, which are very much necessary to control the growth of the microorganisms. Scientists have
realized an immense potential in natural products from medicinal plants to serve as alternate source of combating infections in human beings
which may also have lower cost and lesser toxicity. Therefore, based on the results it can be concluded that the aqueous extract of S. acuta may
hold enormous resource of pharmaceutical properties.
Acknowledgements: The authors thank the management of Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore and Kirnd Institute of
Research and Development, Tiruchirappalli for providing us the necessary laboratory facilities for the research.

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