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.