Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of Averrhoa bilimbi and Averrhoa carambola leaf and fruit extract / Nurul Shuhaila Abd Azib

Averrhoa carambola and Averrhoa bilimbi are the tropical fruit that can be used as traditional medicine for treating variety of disease. The present study was carried out to determine the phytochemical compound and antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of the leaves and fruit juices of A. carambola and A. bilimbi. In phytochemical screening there were seven tests which were test for reducing sugar, test for flavonoid, test for antraquinones, test for tannin, test for terpenoid, test for saponin and test for alkaloid. The results obtained demonstrate that in A. carambola and A. bilimbi leaves and fruit juices contained the same phytochemical compounds which were reducing sugar, terpenoid and saponin. The antimicrobial activity of leaves extract and fruit juices were determined by the disc diffusion method. The result obtained revealed that A. carambola and A. bilimbi leaves and fruit juices were potential against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. There were three concentrations used (25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml) for leaves extract. The result showed that A. bilimbi was more effective in against S. aureus, B. substilis, and E. coli in both leaves extract and fruit juices. Concentration of 100 mg/ml was the best concentration for the A. bilimbi to inhibit the chosen bacteria. In fruit juices there showed that both fruit were more effective in against the bacteria. In conclusion, both fruit were potential in inhibiting bacteria but A. bilimbi showed more potent in antimicrobial activity with the range between 8-19 mm for leaves extract and 10-20 mm for fruit juices with significant value at p<0.05.