Investigation of Phytochemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Activity of Payena paralleloneura Kurz

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the search for new antimicrobial agents in response to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Infectious diseases caused by resistant microorganisms and the associated treatment difficulties remain important challenges in medical science. Natural products, particularly those obtained from plants, continue to provide a valuable source of bioactive compounds. Plants produce diverse organic constituents that may possess antimicrobial properties. The present study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical constituents of Payena paralleloneura seeds using standard laboratory procedures and to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the seed extract against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the disc diffusion method. Payena paralleloneura belongs to the family SAPOTACEAE and naturally occurs in the hill forests of Yephyu Township, Myanmar. Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, α-amino acids, tannins, carotenoids, carbohydrates, and saponins, among other constituents. The seed material was extracted with n-hexane at 65–70°C using a Soxhlet apparatus, giving an oil yield of 41.56% w/w. Whatman No. 1 discs were loaded with 25 µL of the extracted oil at concentrations of 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/disc. Tetracycline (25 µg/disc) served as the positive control, while 95% ethanol was used as the negative control. The inhibition zones were measured in millimeters. The results showed antimicrobial activity of the oil extract on Gram (+) bacteria staphylococcus aureus and Gram (-) bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa , whereas tetracycline showed no inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The findings suggest that Payena paralleloneura seed oil warrants further investigation, particularly at higher concentrations, to better characterize its antimicrobial potential.