PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF NUTMEG (Myristica fragrans) AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA, IN VITRO RADICAL SCAVENGING, FERRIC IRON CHELATING AND ITS PROFILE OF OLEORESIN COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Spices are widely used as a foundation for many applications such as food preservation, pharmaceuticals, medicine and natural therapies. The aim of this study is to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of different parts (kernel, pericarp, leaf and mace) of nutmeg Myristica fragrans.Antibacterial activity of 20 mg/ mL of extracts were determined by agar well diffusion method, against pathogenic bacterial strains of Salmonella enteritica, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella dysentery, Saphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas pheumonia Antioxidant activities were determined using DPPH, TPC, FRAP and ABTS assays. The highest antibacterial activity was shown by pericarp against each bacterial strain and the highest was reported as 3.9 mm of diameter against S. enteritica. Inhibition by the plant extracts against each bacteria was significantly difference (P values = 0.000). Pericarp showed the lowest results in every antioxidant assays. Leaf extract has the lowest IC50 in DPPH (0.11 µg/mL) and ABTS + (7.8 µg/mL) ,highest TPC (220.62 mg GAE/g extract)and highest ability to reduce Ferric (183.41 mg Trolox /g extract).The highest antibacterial activity of pericarp could not be due to the polyphenols in the extract, but could be due to compound identified through the GC-MS analysis. The results showed potential use of nutmeg specially the pericarp, to develop drugs against the disease course bacteria.