Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Hedera Helix L.

3 Abstract: Hedera helix L. is a plant of northern area of Pakistan which was screened for the natural products and antimicrobial activity. Preliminary phytochemical screening, using conventional natural products identification tests indicated the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins and tannins. These secondary constituents vary in type in different parts of the plant and which also depends on the type of the solvent extraction. The chloroform and methanolic extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, while terpenoids, saponins, tannins and reducing sugars were present in n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts, respectively. The ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Hedera helix is the most active, showing activity against three selected Gram positive and two Gram negative bacterial stains and thus displayed highest inhibitory zone of (18:0 mm) at the tested concentration (22 mg/ml) which could be attributed to the presence of these phytochemicals and signifies the potential of Hedera helix as a source of therapeutic agents. Infrared spectroscopic analysis of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol crude extract of Hedera helix indicated the presence of O-H, C=O, C-H, C=O, C=C, NH def, NO and C-O-C bond stretching. The medicinal values of Hedera helix are due to the presence of detected 2 metabolites.