Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of Capsicum chinense Jacq.

The present study investigated on the comparative evaluation of the extraction, quantification, phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of Capsaicin from acetone and acetonitrile extracts of Capsicum chinense Jacq. The polar aprotic solvent extracts showed high amount of Capsaicin with pungency level of 1,529,500 Scoville Heat Units. The Thin layer chromatography method is providing a fingerprint of plant extract. The Capsaicin extracted in the solvents on TLC chromatogram was viewed under UV 254 nm and UV 366 nm and documented. The extraction and estimation of chlorophyll and Carotenoids were also performed for the plant sample following standard procedure. Phytochemical analysis shows that acetone and acetonitrile extract of callus, leaf, shoot, fruit and seed which shows abundant presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saphonins etc. The acetone and acetonitrile extract showed maximum zone of inhibition of Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus against the gram positive and gram negative bacteria respectively through agar well diffusion method. The acetone and acetonitrile extract was found to be more effective at different concentration against all the tested bacteria and fungi. The results revealed that the Capsaicin and other secondary metabolites present in the acetone and acetonitrile extract of Capsicum chinense would contribute for the further extraction and purification of capsaicin as an antimicrobial agent.