ISSN: 0970-020 X

ORIENTAL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY CODEN: OJCHEG

An International Open Free Access, Peer Reviewed Research Journal
2018, Vol. 34, No.(5):
Pg. 2534-2538
www.orientjchem.org

Brief Communication

Antibacterial Activity of Red Dragon Fruit Leaves Extract

and White Dragon Fruit Leaves Extract Against Meningitis
Bacterial
Kiking Ritarwan1 and Nerdy Nerdy2*

1
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan Selayang, Medan
Baru, Sumatera Utara, 20155, Indonesia.
2
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan
Selayang, Medan Baru, Sumatera Utara, 20155, Indonesia.
*Correspondence author E-mail: [email protected]

http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/340540

(Received: August 29, 2018; Accepted: October 01, 2018)

ABSTRACT

Dragon fruit leaves extract contains various phytochemicals, namely: alkaloids, flavonoids,
tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, and terpenoids. Diverse phytochemical content allows the
dragon fruit leaves extract to have antibacterial activity. The objectives of this research were to test
antibacterial activity of dragon fruit leaves extract against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis,
Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). Dragon fruit leaves extract was obtained
by maceration. Antibacterial activity test was done by the paper disc diffusion method with ceftriaxone
as the positive control and dimethylsulfoxide as the negative control. Antibacterial activity of red
dragon leaves extract with concentration 600 μg/mL and white dragon fruit leaves extract with
concentration 800 μg/mL were not show significantly different antibacterial activity from ceftriaxone
with concentration 10 μg/mL against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus
pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). The results prove that the red dragon fruit leaves extract
was more potential antibacterial activity than white dragon fruit leaves extracted against meningitis
bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes).

Keywords: Antibacterial Activity, Dragon Fruit, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus neumoniae,

Listeria monocytogenes

INTRODUCTION caused by bacteria. The bacteria that cause bacterial

meningitis are Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus
Meningitis is inflamed in the meninges pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Haemophilus
which function as a protector of the brain and spinal influenzae, and Escherichia coli. The most common
cord. Meningitis is caused by five main factors, cause of bacterial meningitis is Neisseria meningitidis.
namely bacterial, viruses, fungi, amoeba and These bacteria can live in the nose and throat without
several diseases. The main cause of meningitis is causing infection. But, there is a time when these

This is an Open Access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike
4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), which permits unrestricted
Non Commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 Nerdy et al., Orient. J. Chem., Vol. 34(5), 2534-2538 (2018) 2535

bacteria can fight and defeat the human immune The sample used was white dragon fruit leaves
system resulting in meningitis. In general, adults (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and red dragon fruit leaves
have immunity to Neisseria meningitidis. These (Hylocereus undatus). Which was green colours
bacteria cannot live long outside the human body. obtained from the farmers in Gundaling, Sumatera
These bacteria are usually spread through direct Utara, Indonesia.
contact or at close range, for example through
coughing, sneezing, or kissing. Streptococcus Sample Identification
pneumoniae can also live on the nose and throat Identification of white dragon fr uit
of humans without causing infection. But when the (Hylocereus polyrhizus) leaves and red dragon fruit
human immune system goes down, this bacteria can (Hylocereus undatus) leaves was carried out at
attack and cause meningitis. These bacteria cause Herbarium Medanense, Laboratory of Herbarium,
meningitis in infants more often, when their immune Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
system is not fully developed1. University of Sumatra Utara, Medan Selayang,
Medan Baru, Sumatera Utara, 20155, Indonesia.
Dragon fruit leaves extract contains
various phytochemicals, namely: alkaloids, Preparation of Extract
flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, The extraction process was based on
and terpenoids 2 . Several phytochemical has modification of Nazliniwaty et al., reserach, the part
been tested for the antidiabetic3, antimalarial4,5, used is white dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)
anticancer4,6-7, anticonvulsant8 and antinephrolitiatic9 leaves and red dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus)
activity. The antioxidant 10,11 , antidiabetic 12,13 , leaves. The leaves are cleaned, washed with
antihypercholesterolemic14, hepatoprotective15, and running water, drained, dried in a drying cabinet
anticancer16, activity has been observed from dragon at a temperature of ± 40°C to dry, smoothed using
fruit flesh. The antibacterial17,18 and antioxidant10 a blender, then stored in a tightly closed glass
activity has been observed from dragon fruit peel. container. 0.5 kg of dragon fruit leaves was soaked
But until now no research observed the antibacterial for 5 days with 5 L methanol, and filtered the mixture.
activity of dragon fruit leaves against meningitis Extract was evaporated with a rotary evaporator until
bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus a viscous extract was obtained19,20.
pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). In this
research the objectives was to observed antibacterial Antibacterial Activity Test
activity test of dragon fruit leaves against meningitis The antibacterial activity was based on
bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus modification of Karsono et al., reserach and Masfria
pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). et al., research, tools and materials that will be used
MATERIALS AND METHODS in an antibacterial activity test must be free from the
presence of microbes so they are sterilized before
Tools and Materials being used in experiments. The growth media was
The tools used in this research were sterilized in autoclave at 121°C for 15 min. and the
micropipette (Eppendorf), autoclave (Fison), oven glassware used was sterilized in an oven at 170°C
(Fischer), paper disc (Oxoid), vortex (Health), and for 1 hour. Inoculating loop and lux are sterilized by
other glassware (Iwaki). burning with bunsen flame. 10 g of red dragon fruit
leaves extract and white dragon fruit leaves extract
The materials used in this research were was weighed, inserted into a 10.0 mL volumetric
Mc Farland Standard Suspension (Biosan), Nutrient flask, added 60.0 mL of dimethylsulfoxide, shaken
Broth (Oxoid), Nutrient Agar (Oxoid), Neisseria until dissolved, diluted with dimethylsulfoxide to the
meningitidis (Thermo), Streptococcus pneumoniae marked line, and shaken homogeneously (obtained
(Thermo), and Listeria monocytogenes (Thermo), extract solutions with concentration 1000 mg/mL).
and other chemical (E-Merck). Solution was diluted with dimethylsulfoxide to obtain
solutions with concentration 1000 μg/mL; 800 μg/mL;
Sample Collection 600 μg/mL; 400 μg/mL; 200 μg/mL; 100 μg/mL. The
Sampling is purposively done without bacterial colony was taken from the culture stock
comparing with the same sample from other places. with a sterile inoculating loop, then suspended in a
 Nerdy et al., Orient. J. Chem., Vol. 34(5), 2534-2538 (2018) 2536

test tube containing 10 mL of nutrient broth solution, was not significant different from ceftriaxone with
incubated until the same turbidity was obtained with concentration 10 μg/mL. These results indicate that
the Mc Farland standard solution meaning that the the red dragon fruit leaves extract has more potential
bacterial concentration was 108 CFU/mL. Dilution of antibacterial activity than white dragon fruit leaves
bacterial suspension by pippeting 0.1 mL of bacterial extracted against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria
inoculum was inserted into a test tube containing meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and
9.9 mL of nutrient broth solution and incubated Listeria monocytogenes). This can occur because
in an incubator until homogeneous, the bacterial the phenolic compounds in the red dragon fruit
suspension concentration was 106 CFU/mL. A total leaves extract is more abundant than white dragon
of 0.1 mL of inoculum was placed in a sterile petri fruit leaves extract2.
dish, then the agar medium was poured as much as

PC NC
CFT DM
SO
15 mL with a temperature of 50°C. Petri dishes are

±
0

0
0

0
0

0
Table 1: Data of the inhibition diameters (mm) with various concentration of red dragon fruit leaves extract and
rocked on the table surface so that the media and

8.72 11.15 14.29 17.44 14.41

9.17 11.31 13.25 15.81 13.54

8.33 10.74 13.69 17.31 14.72

0.42

0.32

0.39
bacterial suspension are evenly mixed and left to

10

±
Concentration (μg/mL) Concentration (μg/mL)
solidify. Paper discs that have been soaked into the
test solution at various concentrations are awaited

800 1000 100 200 400 600 800 1000

0.27 0.34 0.45 0.56

0.26 0.31 0.36 0.42

0.21 0.27 0.34 0.45

until they are fully diffused, then placed on the

±
Inhibition Diameters (mm) with Various Concentration of Sample
Strain Red Dragon Fruit Leaves Extract White Dragon Fruit Leaves Extract
surface of solid media that has been inoculated with
bacteria, and incubated in an incubator at 37°C for
20 h then the diameter of the inhibitory area around

±
the paper tray is measured by using vernier caliper.
This test was carried out 3 times21,22.

±
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

±
Antibacterial activity test results showed
that the red dragon fruit leaves extract and white
white dragon fruit leaves extract

6.31

7.72

0.21
6.25

0.16
dragon fruit leaves extract can inhibit the growth
0.2
±

±
of bacteria against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria
meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and
6.05

0.01
6.17

0.17
6.01

0.01
±

±
Listeria monocytogenes). The method used in this
test is the diffusion method in order to use paper
discs by measuring the diameter of the inhibitory
6.51 9.11 11.63 14.54 17.84 21.99

8.35 10.82 13.84 17.41 21.37 25.64

6.37 9.45 12.39 15.87 19.28 23.34

0.49 0.62 0.74

0.63 0.75

0.38 0.44 0.55

±

zone of bacterial growth as indicated by the presence ±

of clear zones in the agar medium of bacterial
growth. The antibacterial activity test results of red
±

dragon fruit leaves extract and white dragon fruit

leaves extract to meningitis bacterial (Neisseria
600

meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and

0.5
±

Listeria monocytogenes) can be seen in Table 1.

0.22 0.31 0.38

0.25 0.31 0.39

0.15 0.21 0.29

100 200 400

Dimethylsulfoxide as the negative control

do not give inhibitory activity against meningitis
bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus
±

pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes) so that

it is very suitable to be used as a carrier to dissolve
the extract. Ceftriaxone as the positive control
±

give inhibition activity against meningitis bacterial

(Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae,
monocytogenes
Streptococcus

and Listeria monocytogenes). Antibacterial activity

meningitidis

pneumonia

of red dragon fruit extract with concentration 600

Neisseria

μg / mL was not significantly different from ceftriaxone

Listeria

with concentration 10 μg/mL. Antibacterial activity of

white dragon fruit with concentration 800 μg/mL

 Nerdy et al., Orient. J. Chem., Vol. 34(5), 2534-2538 (2018) 2537

In the all of test concentration range thereby reducing permeability because phenolic
obtained a smaller diameter of the inhibitory compounds result in changes in the composition of
zone against Neisseria meningitidis than against the phospholipid membrane so that cells undergo
Streptococcus pneumoniae and against Listeria lysis24. The mechanism of the action of saponins as
monocytogenes. This difference occurs because the antibacterial is by causing leakage of proteins and
two test bacteria have different cell wall composition enzymes in the cell. Tannins also have a function to
and structure resulting in Gram positive bacteria denaturate bacterial cell proteins that inhibit bacterial
more susceptible to chemical compounds than growth25.
Gram negative. The cell structure of Gram positive
bacteria is simpler, that is single layered with a low CONCLUSION
lipid content making it easier for bioactive ingredients
to enter the cell. Gram negative bacterial cell wall Dragon fruit leaves extract has antibacterail
structure is more complex, namely three layers activity against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria
consisting of an outer layer of lipoprotein, a middle meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and
layer of lipopolysacrida which acts as a barrier to Listeria monocytogenes). Red dragon fruit leaves
the entry of antibacterial bioactive material, and an extract was more potential antibacterial activity than
inner layer of peptidoglycan in high lipid content23. white dragon fruit leaves extracted against meningitis
The higher the concentration of red dragon fruit bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus
leaves extract and white dragon fruit leaves extract pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes)
shows the higher the antibacterial activity. This result
shows that the red dragon fruit leaves extract and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
white dragon fruit leaves have a dose dependent
antibacterial activity. Flavonoids are known to have The authors acknowledge the laboratory
antimicrobial activity by forming complexes with support by PT. Mutiara Mukti Farma Pharmaceutical
bacterial cell walls. Flavonoids work by destroying Industry, Sidodadi, Deli Tua, Deli Serdang, Sumatera
bacterial cell membranes in the phospholipid portion, Utara, 20355, Indonesia.
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