Isolation and Identification of some chemical constituents of Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Psidium guajava and evaluation of their biological activity

Abstract

In this study, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Psidium guajava were investigated for the bioactive compounds present in its leaves. The plants were selected on the basis of its widespread use in traditional herbal medicine. Extraction of the plant material was done with methanol and the bioactivity of the extract was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (G+ve bacteria), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (G-ve bacteria), Candida albicans (yeast) and Aspergillus Niger (Fungi) by Disc agar plate method.. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing assay and total antioxidant capacity. Cytotoxic activity was evaluated via using preliminary brine shrimp lethality test. Separation and purification of the compounds in the most active extract was done using a combination of column chromatography and thin layer chromatography. The compounds were identified by 1H and 13C NMR techniques as well as IR. The results of the bioactivity tests carried out in this study indicate that both plants have a wide range of biological activity. Eight compounds were identified and characterized from the most bioactive (butanol) extract. This justifies the use of this plant in traditional medicine and indicates a promising potential for the development of medicinal agents from Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Psidium guajava.