Author(s):
Saad Touqeer, Muhammad Asad Saeed
Email(s):
saad.touqeer@aau.ac.ae
DOI:
10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00625
Address:
Saad Touqeer1,2*, Muhammad Asad Saeed3
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates.
2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates.
3Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore P.O. Box 54782, Pakistan.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 19,
Issue - 10,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Melaleuca decora was studied for its phytoconstituents and biological activities. An extensive array of qualitative tests was carried out for the identification of secondary metabolites in the plant. Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of high phenolic and flavonoidal content along with minor amounts of alkaloids, glycosides and saponins. Thin layer chromatographic analysis was carried out on secondary metabolite enriched extract. The hRf values obtained indicated a high chemical diversity present in the plant. Quantitative phytochemical tests revealed the exact amount of each secondary metabolite present. Biological activities carried out included antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. Results from the antimicrobial assay display the broad-spectrum effect of the plant with high antibacterial activity against E. coli (22.5 mm) and P. aeruginosa (12 mm). The results from DPPH and FRAP assays highlighted the high antioxidant potential of the plant. The IC50 of the methanol extract was found to be significantly lower (2.23±0.83) than the standard compound BHT (12.10 ± 0.29). The studies conducted clearly indicate the plant to be of high medicinal value and its high future prospects in lead finding and drug discovery process.
Cite this article:
Saad Touqeer, Muhammad Asad Saeed. Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis and Pharmacological studies on Melaleuca decora (Salisb.) Britten. Research Journal Pharmacy and Technology. 2026;19(10):4491-7. doi: 10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00625
Cite(Electronic):
Saad Touqeer, Muhammad Asad Saeed. Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis and Pharmacological studies on Melaleuca decora (Salisb.) Britten. Research Journal Pharmacy and Technology. 2026;19(10):4491-7. doi: 10.52711/0974-360X.2026.00625 Available on: https://www.rjptonline.org/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-19-10-1
REFERENCES:
1. Jha AK, Verma P, Prasad M, Sachan NK, Gautam K. Alternative Medicine: An Introduction and Market Potential. Research Journal Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2009; 1 (3): 146-152.
2. Sharma S, Sharma R, Singh H, Nelkumar B. History of Medicine –Herbal Medicine Scenario: A Review. Research Journal Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics. 2011; 3 (2): 45-47.
3. Jadhav CA, Vikhe DN, Jadhav RS. Global and Domestic Market of Herbal Medicines: A Review. Research Journal of Science and Technology. 2020; 12(4): 327-330. doi: 10.5958/2349-2988.2020.00049.2
4. Süntar I. Importance of ethnopharmacological studies in drug discovery: role of medicinal plants. Phytochemistry Reviews, 2020; 19(5): 1199-1209. doi:10.1007/s11101-019-09629-9
5. Majolo F, Delwing LK, Marmitt DJ, Bustamante-Filho IC, Goettert MI. Medicinal plants and bioactive natural compounds for cancer treatment: Important advances for drug discovery. Phytochemistry Letters, 2019; 31: 196-207. doi: 10.1016/j.phytol.2019.04.003
6. Rehman FU, Kalsoom M, Adnan M, Fazeli BN, Naz N, Ilahi H, Toor MD. Importance of medicinal plants in human and plant pathology: A review. International Journal of Pharmacy and Biomedical Research. 2021; 8: 1-11. doi:10.18782/2394-3726.1110
7. Jamshidi FK, Lorigooini Z, Amini HK. Medicinal plants: Past history and future perspective. Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology, 2017; 7(1): 1-7. doi:10.15171/jhp.2018.01
8. Touqeer S. Ethnopharmacology and random screening. Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research. 2015; 3(2): 45-46.
9. Craven LA, Southwell I, Lowe R. Tea tree: the genus Melaleuca. Hardwood Academic Publishers, New Jersey, United States. 1999; pp. 18-32.
10. Serbesoff K, Melaleuca in Florida: a literature review on the taxonomy, distribution, biology, ecology, economic importance and control measures. Journal of aquatic plant management, 2003; 41(1): 98-112.
11. Kumar A, Srivastava SK, Dwivedi GR, Khan M, Darokar MP, Saxena M, Khanuja SP. Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Melaleuca genistifolia leaf essential oil from the Northern Plains of India. Natural Product Communications. 2008; 3(10): 1741-1744.
12. Touqeer S, Saeed MA, Adnan S, Mehmood F, Ch MA. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Melaleuca decora and Syngonium podophyllum. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology. 2014, 7(7): 776-778.
13. Gupta N, Manika N, Singh S, Singh SC, Pragadheesh VS, Yadav A, Chanotiya CS. Investigation on phenylpropanoids rich Melaleuca decora (Salisb.) Britt. essential oil. Natural Product Research. 2012; 26(20): 1945-1947. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2011.628175
14. Raama, N. (2006). Phytochemical techniques. New India Publishing; New Delhi, India.
15. Harborne JB. (1973). Phytochemical Methods, Chapman and Hall; London, pp. 49-188.
16. Trease GE, Evans WC. (1983). Pharmacognosy, 12th ed., Elsevier; New York, USA, pp. 36.
17. Okwu DE. Phytochemicals, vitamins and mineral contents of two Nigerian medicinal plants. International Journal of Molecular medicine and advance Sciences, 2005; 1(4); 375-381.
18. Makkar HPS, Bluemmel M, Borowy NK, Becker K. Gravimetric determination of tannins and their correlations with chemical and protein precipitation methods. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 1993; 61(2): 161-165. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.2740610205.
19. Barakat MZ, Shehab SK, Darwish N, Zahenmy EI. Determination of ascorbic acid from plants. Analytical Biochemistry, 1973; 53(225): 225-245.
20. Nielsen SS. (2003). Food analysis laboratory manual, 3rd ed., Kluwer Academic, Plenum Publishers; New York, USA, pp. 87-88.
21. Wagner R, Bladt S. (1996). Plant Drug Analysis, A Thin Layer Chromatography Atlas, 2nd ed., Springer; Berlin, Germany.
22. Mallikharjuna PB, Rajanna LN, Seetharam YN, Sharanabasappa GK. Phytochemical studies of Strychnos potatorum Lf-A Medicinal Plant. Journal of Chemistry. 2007; 4: 510-518. doi: 10.1155/2007/687859
23. Harborne JB. (1998). Phytochemical Methods, 3rd ed., Chapman and Hall; Madras, India.
24. Sharanabasappa GK, Santosh MK, Shaila D, Seetharam YN, Sanjeevarao I. Phytochemical Studies on Bauhinia racemosa Lam. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Hardwickia binata Roxb. E-Journal of Chemistry, 2007; 4(1): 21-31.
25. Selvakumar K, Madhan R, Srinivasan G, Baskar V. Antioxidant assays in pharmacological research. Asian Journal of Pharmacy and Technology. 2011; 1(4): 99-103.
26. Krishna KV, Karuppuraj V, Perumal K. Antioxidant activity and Folic acid content in indigenous isolates of Ganoderma lucidum. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 2016; 6 (4): 213-215.
27. Rangasamy P, Hansiya VS, Maheswari PU, Suman T, Geetha N. Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of in vitro antioxidant and anti-urolithiatic potential of various fractions of Clitoria ternatea L. Blue flowered leaves. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 2019; 9(2): 67-76.
28. Muthukumaran P, Padmapriya P, Salomi S, Umamaheshwari R, Kalaiarasan P, Malarvizhi C. In vitro anti-microbial activity of leaf powder. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2011;1(4): 108-110.
29. Thota P, Bhogavalli PK, Chenreddy SK. Phytochemical Investigation and Antibacterial Screening of Leaf Extracts of Sapindus saponaria Vahl. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology. 2012; 5(2): 273-276.
30. Hemalatha M, Arirudran B, Thenmozhi A, Rao US. Antimicrobial effect of separate extract of acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous from leaf of Milkweed (Calotropis gigantea L.). Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2011; 1(4): 102-107.
31. Bauer AW, Kirby WMM, Sherris JCT, Turck M. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized single disk method. American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 1966; 45(4): 493-496.
32. Dar UI, Saleem F, Touqeer S. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Embelia robusta: a common adulterant in black pepper. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2016; 2(2): 136-141.