ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF A NOVEL POLYHERBAL TEA (POLYHERB MF4, MF5 AND MF6) INFUSION
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the antibacterial activity and phytochemical screening of three novel
polyherbal tea formulations (MF4, MF5 and MF6) prepared from black tea, green tea, Parkia
biglobosa, neem leaves, lemon grass and ginger. The antibacterial activity of the polyherbal tea
infusions were determined by the disk diffusion method while the quantitative phytochemical
screening was carried out using highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Result
revealed the presence of diverse bioactive compoundsincluding flavonolds (quercetin,
kaempferol, rutin), phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogeneic acid), alkaloids (Caffeine,
theophylline), terpenolds and gingerol derivatives. Among the formulations, MF6 exhibited the
richest phytochemical diversity and concentration. Antibacterial assays, using disc diffusion
method, however demonstrated that MF5 produced the strongest inhibitory effect against test
bacterial
strains,
followed by MF6, while MF4 showed the least activity
(Staphylococcusaureus: MF5 = 9.67±0.88mm, MF6 = 8.67±0.33mm, MF4 = 8.00±0.58mm;
Klebsiellapneumonia: MF 5=9.33±0.33mm, MF6 = 8.36±0.33mm, MF4:5.00±2.51mm:
Esherichacoli: MF5 = 9.00 ± 1.00mm, MF4 = 8.33 ±0.88mm, MF6 = 8.00±1.00mm). These
findings suggest that the antibacterial efficacy of the formulation may be due to the presence of
specific compounds such as querectin, gallic acid, rutin and caffeine, which may act
synergistically. The result highlight the potential of MF5 as a promising candidate for
development of functional teas or natural antimicrobial agents. Further studies on toxicity,
dosage optimization and mechanism of action are recommended to ensure safety and enhance
therapeutic application.
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