Phytochemical Evaluation and antimicrobial activity of clitoria ternatea flowers.

Medicinal plants are widely recognized as valuable sources of bioactive compounds used in the treatment of various diseases. Natural products have contributed significantly to the discovery of modern drugs due to their structural diversity and pharmacological potential.

Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as butterfly pea, belongs to the family Fabaceae and is widely distributed in tropical regions. The plant has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine for its memory-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds present in the flowers are believed to contribute to its therapeutic potential. Considering the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance, there is an increasing need to explore plant-derived compounds as alternative antimicrobial agents. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the phytochemical constituents and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Clitoria ternatea flower extracts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Plant Material Collection

Fresh flowers of Clitoria ternatea were collected from Hyderabad. The plant material was authenticated by a qualified botanist at PNR college of Pharmacy. The flowers were washed, shade dried, and powdered using a mechanical grinder.

Preparation of Extracts

The powdered flower material (approximately 50 g) was extracted using solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and distilled water through maceration/soxhlet extraction. The extracts were filtered and concentrated using a rotary evaporator. The dried extracts were stored at 4°C until further use.

Phytochemical Screening

Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts was carried out using standard qualitative tests to detect the presence of:

Alkaloids (Mayer’s test)

Flavonoids (Shinoda test)

Tannins (Ferric chloride test)

Glycosides

Saponins (Foam test)

Phenolic compounds

Terpenoids

Microorganisms Used

The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against selected microbial strains such as:

Staphylococcus aureus

Escherichia coli

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Candida albicans

Antimicrobial Assay

The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was determined using the agar well diffusion method. Sterile nutrient agar plates were inoculated with microbial cultures, and wells were prepared using a sterile cork borer. Different concentrations of plant extracts were introduced into the wells.

The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The antimicrobial activity was assessed by measuring the zone of inhibition (mm).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Phytochemical Analysis

Preliminary phytochemical screening indicated the presence of several bioactive compounds in the extracts.

The presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds suggests potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

Antimicrobial Activity

The extracts showed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity against the tested organisms.