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International Journal of Research in Botany

Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved

ISSN 23197854
Original Article
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME INDIAN TRALATITIOUS PLANT EXTRACTS
Robert Raju1, Rogimon P. Thomas2, Manuel Thomas1, , Kiran V.S.1 and Joby Paul3
1.
Consortium & Training Academy for Biosciences (CTAB), First Floor, Mattackandathil Building, Manarcadu
P.O., Kottayam, Kerala, India PIN 686 019
2.
Department of Botany, CMS College, Kottayam, Kerala, India PIN 686 001; roji.cms@gmail.com
3.
Community Environmental Resource Center, ATREE, Alappuzha, Kerala 688 001
Received 08 September 2013; accepted 31 December 2013
Abstract
Today the development of modern drugs from less toxic plant products with proven medicinal properties is on the rise. In
India, medicinal plants are widely used by people as folk therapeutics or in different indigenous systems of medicine like
Siddha, Unani and Ayurveda. Thus a study was conducted to explore the antibacterial effects of Adhatoda vasica, Aerva
lanata, Alangium salviifolium and Pongamia pinnata against a panel of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp.,
Psueudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus sp. A. salviifolium was sensitive towards all the tested bacterial pathogens
irrespective of solvents. A. salviifolium methanolic extract exhibited higher sensitivity against Citrobacter sp. (27mm). A.
salviifolium petroleum ether extract was more inhibitory (26mm) towards E. coli followed by A. salviifolium methanolic
extract and A. vasica petroleum ether extract (23mm each). The study clearly demonstrated that the methanolic and
petroleum ether extracts of the tested plants contain antibacterial principles as arrogated by traditional herbal practitioners.
2013 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved
Key words: Antibacterial Activity, Medicinal Plants, Adhatoda Vasica, Aerva Lanata, Alangium Salviifolium, Pongamia
Pinnata
INTRODUCTION vermicidal, anti-acne, asthma, dermatitis, antispasmodic
Traditional medicine employment in curing ailments is still and chronic bronchitis (Singh et al., 2011).
the linchpin of a number of communities all around the Aerva lanata (Amaranthaceae)
world (Sumathi and Parvathi, 2010). The indiscriminate use It is a medicinal plant which is used by Ayurvedic
of antibiotics develops antibiotic resistance and multidrug practitioners to treat various conditions such as lithiasis,
resistance microorganisms which exemplify the demand for headache, renal disease malarial fever, diabetes and
the novel plant based drugs and formulations throughout gonorrhea. The plant is used as a diuretic and anthelmintic.
the world. In addition to this problem, antibiotics are The whole plant or parts of it is used as a herbal drink, tea,
sometimes associated with adverse effects on the host, porridge, extract or as a decoction with other herbs (Battu
including hypersensitivity, immunosuppression and allergic and Kumar, 2012).
reactions (Oancea and Stoia, 2010). The demand for more Alangium salviifolium (Cornaceae)
and more drugs from plant rootage is incessantly increasing The plant is also called as Ankola is popular in folk
which postulates screening medicinal plants with notifiable medicine and has been studied for its anti-inflammatory,
biological activity. Medicinal plants are gifts of Mother antifertility and cardiotonic activities. Its dried seeds have
Nature to ailments and a deluge of plants around the world traditionally been used to treat various ailments
have been distilled to enquire their antimicrobial activity. (Venkateshwarlu et al., 2011).
The present study is an attempt to explore the antibacterial Pongamia pinnata (Fabaceae)
activities of some traditional medicinal plants such as The plant has a myriad of medicinal properties and is
Adhatoda vasica, Aerva lanata, Alangium salviifolium and usually used in Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine.
Pongamia pinnata. The plant is used as a crude drug for the treatment of
MATERIALS AND METHODS tumours, piles, skin diseases, itches, abscess, painful
Plants selected rheumatic joints wounds, ulcers and diarrhea (Arote and
Adhatoda vasica (Acanthaceae) Yeole, 2010).
It is a popular medicinal plant in Ayurvedic and Unani Extract preparation
medicine for treating digestive, hepatoprotective, Leaves of the plants were collected from different regions
International Journal of Research in Botany 2014; 4(1): 6-8
6
in the State of Kerala. The taxonomic identification was organism. If the extract has any antibacterial activity, it will
performed by using standard taxonomic keys and expert inhibit the growth of the microorganism giving a clear
consultations. The collected plants were dried under shade, distinct zone called "Zone of inhibition". The antibacterial
crushed and subject to soxhlet extraction with petroleum activity of the test agent was determined by measuring the
ether and methanol. The extract was filtered and zone of inhibition and expressed as millimeter
concentrated. (mm).Control plates were also inoculated and incubated.
Antibaterial susceptibility testing RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Pure cultures of Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp., Finding curative forces in plants is an ancient thought and
Psueudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were used for people from all continents still trust on indigenous plants
the study. The strains were maintained on nutrient agar for healing several diseases. Plants have illimitable power
slants at 4C. A loopful of each bacterial strain was added to synthesize secondary metabolites such as phenolics,
to a 50 ml sterile nutrient broth in a 100 ml conical flask. polyphenols, quinones, flavones, flavonoids, flavonols,
The flasks were then incubated for 24 h to activate the tannins, coumarins, terpenoids, essential oils, alkaloids,
strain. lectins and polypeptides with a deluge of antimicrobial
Disc diffusion method activities (Cowan, 1999). Withal, a vast majority of the
The antibacterial activity of the extracts was obtained with plants still remains unexplored and the present study is
two different solvents, petroleum ether and methanol and mooted in this scenario.
was evaluated by the disc diffusion method (Bauer et al., In an overall analysis, A. salviifolium was sensitive towards
1966). The strains that had been incubated for 24 h were all the tested bacterial pathogens irrespective of solvents
used for the assay. A sterile cotton swab was dipped into (Table 1). A. salviifolium methanolic extract exhibited
the bacterial suspension and then was evenly streaked over higher sensitivity against Citrobacter sp. (27mm). The
the entire surface of a Nutrient agar plate to obtain a antibacterial activity of Alangium salviifolium was reported
uniform inoculum. earlier (Dahiya and Purkayastha, 2011). They also noted
Dried and sterilized filter paper discs (10 mm diameter) that the patterns of inhibition varied with the plant extract,
were then impregnated with the extract. Discs containing the solvent used for extraction, and the organism tested.
the extracts were placed on nutrient agar medium uniformly The antimicrobial potential of the butanol extract of
seeded with the test microorganisms. The experiment was Alangium salviifolium was also well established (Pandian et
replicated two times. The plates were then incubated al., 2006).
at 37oC for 24 hours to allow maximum growth of the
Table 1: Sensitivity pattern of tested extracts
Plants tested
A. vasica A.lanata A. salviifolium P. pinnata
Bacteria tested Zone of inhibition (mm)
PE M PE M PE M PE M
Citrobacter sp. -- 20 -- 13 14 27 -- --
Pseudomonas sp. 21 20 -- 12 19 19 21 14
E. coli 23 22 22 20 26 23 19 19
Staphylococcus sp. 14 -- 17 -- 18 22 -- 23

In the present study, Citrobacter sp. showed more 2,tert-butyl-1,4-dimethoxybenzene, bicyclo[jundec-4-

resistance towards rest of the extracts (4 extracts) ene,4,11-trimethyl-8-methylene (14.56 %), hexamethyl
succeeded by Staphylococcus sp (3 extracts). The resistance dewar benzene, alpha-caryophyllene, cycloproplejazulene,
of Citrobacter sp. towards several antimicrobials even caryophyllene oxide and 2-naphthalenemethanol (Sarkar,
cephalosporins due to overexpression of their chromosomal 2011).
-lactamase was reported already (Pepperell et al., 2002). Successful prevision of botanicals from plant material is
A. salviifolium petroleum ether extract was more inhibitory largely dependent on the type of solvent used in the
(26mm) towards E. coli followed by A. salviifolium extraction procedure which can be pruned in terms of the
methanolic extract and A. vasica petroleum ether extract polarity of the compounds being extracted by each solvent
(23mm each), A. vasica methanolic extract and A. lanata and in addition to their intrinsic bioactivity (Dey et al.,
petroleum ether extracts (22mm each). 2010). These may be the reason for the differences in
Adhatoda vasica is a well-known plant drug in Ayurvedic activity pattern of the tested extracts. The synergistic
and Unani medicine. The leaves of the plant contain the activity of compounds is the reason for the observed
alkaloid vasicine (C11H12N2O), which is responsible for the antibacterial activity.
bronchodilatation (Nadkarni et al. 1954) and an essential CONCLUSION
oil which is responsible for the expectorant action Plant compounds are inexpensive and providing good
(Sivarajan et al. 1994). The present study also is in nutrition, but also used to cure and prevent a caboodle of
agreement with the available reports. Previous studies diseases. The multiple benefits of these plants made it a
noted the presence of numerous phytochemicals such miracle of nature. The tested plants either alone or in
as Borneol, 1,2,3, trimethyl benzene, ethanonaphthalene, combination with other drugs, for the treatment of various
1,1,4a trimethyl-5,6-dimethylenedecahydro naphthalene, ailments are still the lynchpin of people in developing
International Journal of Research in Botany 2014; 4(1): 6-8
7
countries like India. The results of this study reflect the
presence of potent antimicrobial phytochemicals among the
tested plants with varying inhibition patterns. Future
research in this direction is the need of the hour, as drug
resistance and disease causalities are on the rise.
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Source of support: Nil; Conflict of interest: None declared
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