Abstract

• This research aims to investigate some biological activities such as antimicrobial activity, α-amylase inhibition activity, and cytotoxic activity of the rhizome of Natsei gamon. The rhizome of Natsei gamon was collected from Lungpi Village, Falam Township, Chin State, Myanmar, in February 2019. In the present work, antimicrobial activity, α-amylase inhibition activity, and cytotoxicity have been determined. According to the results of antimicrobial activity, methanol and chloroform extracts of Natsei gamon did not show any antimicrobial activity against all of the microorganisms tested. But petroleum ether extract exhibited activity against six microorganisms, such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus pumilus, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli with an inhibition zone diameter range of 13-15 mm. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts significantly inhibited only Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with an inhibition zone diameter of 20 mm. The α-amylase inhibition activity of ethanol and watery extracts of rhizome of Natsei gamon was determined by α-amylase inhibition assay or DNS reagent method. These two crude extracts were found to possess α-amylase inhibition activity. The ethanol extract (IC50 = 0.78 μg/mL) was found to have higher potency than that of watery extracts (IC50 = 0.85 μg/mL) in α- amylase inhibition activity. The cytotoxicity of watery and ethanol extracts of the rhizome of Natsei gamon is free from cytotoxic effect until a concentration of 1000 μg/mL.