Standardization, Chemical and Pharmacological Evaluation of Soymida Febrifuga for Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Abstract

Soymida Febrifuga is a medicinal plant traditionally employed in the treatment of infectious and inflammatory disorders. Despite its ethnopharmacological relevance, systematic evaluation of its phytochemical and pharmacological properties is limited. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities of Soymida Febrifuga bark extracts. Bark samples were collected, authenticated, and extracted using methanol and ethyl acetate via Soxhlet extraction. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed using standard assays, while quantitative estimation of phenolics and flavonoids was conducted using gallic acid and quercetin calibration curves. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by disc diffusion and agar-well diffusion methods against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and fungal species. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in BALB/c mice using carrageenan-induced paw edema, with indomethacin as the reference drug.
Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, diterpenes, steroids, proteins, and amino acids. Quantitative analysis revealed high phenolic (118.45 mg GA/g) and flavonoid (34.42 mg QE/g) content in the ethyl acetate fraction. Methanolic extracts exhibited strong antibacterial activity, particularly against Proteus vulgaris (29 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (27 mm), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26 mm), while ethyl acetate extracts showed moderate activity. No antifungal activity was observed. Anti-inflammatory evaluation demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of paw edema, with the highest dose (400 mg/kg) achieving 47.98% inhibition at 5 hours, compared to 69.31% with indomethacin. Soymida Febrifuga bark extracts contain bioactive phytochemicals, notably phenolics and flavonoids, which contribute to significant antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. These findings validate its traditional use and highlight its potential as a source of therapeutic agents for infectious and inflammatory diseases.