Nutritional and Antimicrobial Studies on Leaves and Fruit of Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines

Abstract

Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines is wild plant having a number of ethnomedicinal applications. In the present study, the leaves and fruits of the plant were subjected to antimicrobial and nutritional investigations. Antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts of the leaves and fruits of the plant, determined against 34 strains of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, exhibits a considerable broad spectrum efficacy. Analysis of mineral elements present in fruits, seeds and leaves shows that the plant has good quantities of potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and chromium. The nutritional value of the fruits was 333.84 cal/100 g and they are a good source of fiber, lipids, protein and carbohydrates.