DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2019.v07i12.004

Pages: 472-481

Spice are widely used as a foundation for many applications such as food preservation, pharmaceuticals, medicine and natural therapies. The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of different parts (kernel, pericarp, leaf and mace) of nutmeg Myristica fragrans and its oleoresin compounds. Antibacterial activity was determined by agar well diffusion method against pathogenic bacterial strains of Salmonella enteritica, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella dysentery, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH, TPC, FRAP and ABTS assays. The highest antibacterial activity was shown by pericarp against each bacterial strain and the highest inhibition was reported as 3.9 mm of diameter against S. enteritica. Inhibition shown by the plant extracts was significantly difference (P values=0.000). Pericarp showed the lowest activity in every antioxidant assays. Leaf extract showed 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). GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 95 compounds of extracts representing 99.6%. Propanoic acid and butanoic acid Maleic anhydride were detected collectively (8.109%) showing the highest occurrence in the pericarp extract. Propanoic acid (6.846%), 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (6.251%), Furfural (1.035, Myristicin (1.874%), Elemicin (2.406%) and Myristic acid (0.82%) were reported as possible contributors for the highest antibacterial activity of pericarp methanol extract. The results showed, potential use of nutmeg, specially the pericarp to develop drugs against the disease course bacteria.