Some Preparatory Pharmacognostical Studies of Sonneratia alba (Lythraceae)

Mangroves are the most vibrant and resilient ecosystems thriving under conditions that are otherwise growth-limiting to most plants. To withstand the rigors of prevailing diverse conditions, mangroves are endowed with some extraordinary biological qualities, including a plethora of secondary metabolites with immense significance for medical applications. The current investigation aimed at some preparatory pharmacognostical investigations on Sonneratia alba (Lythraceae), a mangrove species of ecological and medicinal significance. The pharmacognostical potential of S. alba was evaluated through flavonoid extraction and exploration for antimicrobial properties. The leaf samples were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using methanol, ethanol, and ethyl acetate, followed by quantitative flavonoid analysis via aluminium chloride spectrophotometry. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest flavonoid yield (19.568 mg/g), followed by ethanol (6.956 mg/g) and methanol (3.171 mg/g). The antibacterial activity, assessed using the agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, revealed varying degrees of inhibition, with ethyl acetate extracts showing the highest activity against S. aureus (16.66 mm zone of inhibition), and methanol extracts being most effective against E. coli (15.66 mm). These findings underscore the importance of solvent selection in optimizing bioactive compound recovery and suggest that S. alba holds promise as a source of a natural antimicrobial agent. The current investigation presented some basic insights into the pharmacognostical profiling of S. alba, indicating its potential role in natural drug development.