GC-MS PROFILING, BIOACTIVE COMPOUND SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION OF IPOMOEA ERIOCARPA (CONVOLVULACEAE) LEAF EXTRACTS USING DIFFERENT SOLVENTS.

Abstract

Ipomoea eriocarpa (Convolvulaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat fever, wounds, inflammation, and gastrointestinal disorders. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antibacterial activity, and GC–MS profile of solvent extracts of Ipomoea eriocarpa leaves. Leaves extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction with hexane, petroleum ether, toluene, chloroform, acetone, and ethanol. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, reducing sugars, quinones, amino acids, and essential oils. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Vibrio vulnificus, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio cholerae. Among the extracts, ethanol exhibited the highest antibacterial activity and was therefore selected for GC–MS analysis. The analysis identified several bioactive compounds with known antimicrobial properties, supporting the observed biological activity. The findings indicate that Ipomoea eriocarpa leaves is a promising source of bioactive phytochemicals with potential applications in the development of natural antibacterial agents and pharmaceutical formulations.