Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
One of the most popular plants used as a spice by the Maranao Muslims of Marawi City is a white variety of Allium ampeloprasum. This plant is not only popular for the preparation of a variety of dishes but also for the treatment of common infections. This study was conducted to determine the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of ethanolic extracts of the plant variety. Alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and steroids were the phytochemicals that were detected in the samples, while tannins, cyanogenic glycosides and anthraquinones were absent. The plant extract showed strong antioxidant activity based on DPPH assay. The antimicrobial assay showed no inhibition of growth of P. aeruginosa UPCC1244 and B. subtilis UPCC1295 but strong inhibition of E. coli UPCC1195, K. pneumoniae UPCC1360, S. typhimurium UPCC1368 and S. aureus UPCC1142. GCMS analysis showed the presence of compounds with biological properties. This study, therefore, indicated that the plant has potential medicinal and antimicrobial properties.
