ASSESSMENT OF PHYTOCHEMICALS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES: ANTIPYRETIC AND ANTIFUNGAL EFFECTS OF OLEA FERRUGINEA ROYLE

Abstract

Medicinal plants contain bioactive compounds that have the potential to prevent and combat diseases related to oxidative stress. The present study investigates the phytochemical composition, antipyretic, and antifungal activities of Olea ferruginea Royle extract, including ethanolic, methanolic, and chloroform extracts. Phytochemical analysis revealed that both ethanolic and methanolic extracts contained carbohydrates, flavonoids, alkaloids, paleobotanies, saponins, tannins, phenols, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides, while alkaloids, paleobotanies, glycosides, and proteins were absent in the chloroform extract. Quantitative analysis of the chloroform extract revealed the presence of flavonoids (14.20±0.15 mg/ml), alkaloids (12.10±0.15 mg/ml), phenols (10.45±0.10 mg/ml), saponins (06.22±0.14 mg/ml), and tannins (04.60±0.65 mg/ml). The pharmacological evaluation revealed that the 600 mg/kg dose of the extract exhibited significant antipyretic activity in a brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia model, resulting in a 59.43% reduction in fever compared to the positive control, paracetamol (73.23% inhibition at 37.24°C). The antifungal activity demonstrated that Olea ferruginea Royle extracts were most effective against Verticillium, with a zone of inhibition of 17.00±0.48 mm at a concentration of 18 mg/µl, followed by Pythium (16.27±0.93 mm), Acremonium (16.20±1.89 mm), and Trichoderma (16.11±0.82 mm) at a concentration of 12 mg/µl. These results suggest that Olea ferruginea Royle possesses significant antipyretic and antifungal potential, supporting its traditional medicinal uses