Antibacterial activity and chemical profiling of Bombax glabrum (Pasq.) A. Robyns leaves

Bombax glabrum is used in traditional medicine for the relief of general pain and digestive problems. The aim of this study was to establish the antibacterial activity, to characterize and identify the bioactive compounds in the leaves of the plant.

The powdered leave samples were sequentially extracted with n-hexane and chloroform using a soxhlet apparatus. Phytochemical screening was done using standard analytical procedures and the antibacterial activity of both extracts was tested against Bacillus subtills, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia using modified agar disc diffusion method. The chloroform extract was subjected to column chromatography separation in combination with TLC. Contact autobiography was carried out on two active spot(s) while purified fractions of these spots were analyzed using GC-MS.

Phytochemical screening shows the presence of saponins, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and sterols. The plant has inhibitory activity against S. aureus and E. coli; while the GC-MS of two active spots of the chloroform extract (with Rf of 0.60 and 0.82) yielded 12 and 17 compounds for band C3 and C5, respectively, which were active against S. aureus only. Most abundant compounds are bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (34.54) and 2-pentadecanone, 6,10,14-trimethyl (41.81 %), respectively.

The presence of bioactive compounds could account for the plant’s inhibitory action against S. aureus and E. coli which may justify its use in managing infections