THE BIOACTIVE POTENTIALS OF OLEA EUROPAEA SUBSPECIES AFRICANA A FOLKLORIC MEDICINAL PLANT AMONG KHOSA TRIBE IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

The dramatic increase in the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in emerging economies has become a huge challenge and as such led to increased reliance on folkloric medicine for NCDs management. Consequently, wild Olea europaea leaves were assessed for medicinal potentials, as they are commonly used as a traditional therapy for these diseases in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the O. europaea extracts obtained using different solvents by maceration method were tested by spectrophotometric, disc diffusion and agar dilution methods respectively, while the essential oil obtained in a Clevenger modified apparatus was analyzed by GC-MS. The O. europaea extracts showed moderate to strong inhibitory potential in scavenging the three different tested radicals in a concentration dependant-manner. The ethyl acetate leaf extract (MEA) and ethanol extract (ME) were active against the growth of the six tested bacteria in particular Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia marcescens. Gas chromatography – mass spectroscopy studies on the essential oil revealed 61 compounds, accounting for 93.031% of the total oil. Nonanal, phytol and 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-9-methylene-bicycle [4.4.0] dec-1-ene were the main chemical compounds identified. The results suggest that the essential oil and solvent extracts of O. europaea contains bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant properties and which may give justification for its indigenous usage.