Kata Kunci

Abstrak

Phyllanthus niruri L. is a small annual plant that grows up to 30-40 cm tall. It is an herbaceous plant widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The aerial parts of P. niruri growing in Bangladesh were investigated for moisture content and ash content, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), cytotoxicity, relative fatty acid compositions, and antibacterial activity. The moisture and ash content of the dried leaves were 5% and 7%, respectively. The extracts of P. niruri contained a good amount of phenolic and flavonoid content and revealed significant antioxidant capacity. The highest TAC was shown by the dichloromethane fraction (131.3±9.20), followed by the 80% ethanol extract (126.1±6.25) and then the ethyl acetate fraction (122.5±10.65). The highest amount of phenolic content was present in the ethyl acetate fraction, whereas the lowest amount was in the hexane fraction. Cytotoxicity was found in the 80% ethanol extract, dichloromethane, and aqueous fractions. Fatty acids like lauric acid (0.5%), tetradecanoic acid (1%), palmitoleic acid (37%), octadecanoic acid (57%), and cis-9-oleic acid (5%) were identified and quantified in the hexane fraction of P. niruri by GC-FID, with octadecanoic acid being predominant among all acids. The antibacterial activity of the 80% ethanol extract and aqueous fraction of P. niruri was tested against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria using the agar diffusion method. The results revealed weak antibacterial activity.