A comprehensive investigation of phytochemical and in vitro biological potential of petroleum ether fraction of Wedelia trilobata leaves 

Abstract

Wedelia trilobata leaves in Asteraceae’s plant family have an ethnomedicinal effect and treat inflammation and infection. We aim to investigate the phytochemical and biological properties of this plant's Petroleum Ether fraction of leaf extract. The total flavonoid content determination assay was used to investigate the antioxidant properties. The disk diffusion method ascertained the antibacterial activity, and the cytotoxic activity was assessed using a brine shrimp mortality experiment. The phytochemical evaluation of the petroleum ether fraction of W. trilobata leaves showed higher flavonoid contents (727.64 mg of AAE/gm in 1gm/ml of extract). The extract showed remarkable cytotoxicity with maximum effect at 400 µm/ml concentration (LC50=15.28 µg/ml). The extract showed lower antimicrobial activity when compared to Ciprofloxacin. The Petroleum Ether fraction of W. trilobate leaves exhibited potent cytotoxic activity, and it can further evaluate anticancer, pesticidal, antitumor, and other pharmacological activity.