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Anti Microbial Activity

        Antimicrobial Activity Of Ethanolic Root Extract of Ficus racemosa Linn.
               
- by Goyal PK
 

Abstract
Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic root extract were evaluated against four bacteria and four fungi at different concentration by using disc diffusion method. The test extract was found to be bacteriostatic and fungistatic in action thus can be used as a source of antibiotic substances for drug development that can be used in control of these bacterial and fungal infection.

Key words- Antimicrobial activity, disc diffusion method, Ficus racemosa.

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Introduction
Natural product chemistry can be thought of as originating from mankind’s curiosity about odour, taste, color and cures for diseases. People in all continents have long applied poultices and imbibed infusion of hundreds, if not thousands, of indigenous plants, dating back to prehistory1 Since time immemorial, different parts of medicinal plants have been used to cure specific ailments in India. Now-adays there is wide spread interest in evaluating drugs derived from plant sources.2 one of the Indian medicinal plant used traditionally is Ficus racemosa Linn. syn. F. glomerata Roxb. (Moraceae). Several extracts (water and organic solvents) from different parts of F. racemosa were evaluated for blood sugar lowering activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats3,4. The petroleum ether extract of the stem bark of the plant reduced the blood sugar level significantly. Extracts from fruits and latex of the plant did not have any significant effect on blood sugar level of these diabetic rats. The pet. ether extract of the stem bark completely inhibited the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from rat liver4. However, extract from fruits and latexinhibited only glucose 6-phosphate but not arginase from rat liver4.

The bark exhibited hypoglycemic effect in normal and alloxan-induced hyperglycemic animals5-11 and -sitosterol-D-glucoside was identified as the active principle12. The glucoside rich fraction of the leaf extract showed hypotensive and cardiac depressant activity6. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, antidiarrhoeal and hepatoprotective activities of the various extracts from the leaves have also been evaluated in rats and mice7-11. A uterine tonic prepared using the aqueous extract of fruits was found to show effect similar to oxytocin13. Its latex was found to exhibit protease activity14. Ethanolic extract of its bark showed significant inhibitory activity against castor oil induced diarrhea and PGE2 induced enter pooling in rats10,15. The Kwath douche of its stem bark can be used for the treatment of leucorrhoea and vaginitis16. Gluanol acetate isolated from bark is useful in bilious affection15.

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Experimental
Plant material
The plant material, roots of F. racemosa Linn., was collected from the road side of Ganesh Marg, Bapu Nagar, Jaipur and carefully identified in the Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur (Herbarium sheet No. RUBL 19764).

Processing and extraction of plant material
Powdered roots of F. racemosa were extracted with ethanol for antibacterial and antifungal activity. The extract was filtered, the residue reextracted (2x) for complete exhaustion. The combined ethanolic extract was evaporated under reduced pressure using a rotary vacuum evaporator. The extract was stored at 4oC in a refrigerator until screened for a particular activity.

Test microorganism
Pure cultures of test bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Enterobacter cloacae were obtained through the courtesy of SMS Medical College, Jaipur, which were maintained on Nutrient Broth Medium. Likewise, pure cultures of test fungi, namely Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans were obtained from the Seed Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, which were maintained on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium.

Media preparation
For the cultivation of bacteria, Nutrient Broth Medium (NBM) was prepared using 8% Nutrient Broth (Difco) in distilled water and agar-agar and sterilized at 15 lbs for 25-30 min. The agar test plates were prepared by pouring ~15 ml of NBM into the petri-dishes (10 mm) under aseptic conditions. The peptone saline solution was prepared (by mixing 3.56 g KH2PO4 + 7.23 g NaH2PO4 + 4.30 g NaCl + 1.00 g peptone in 1000 ml distilled water, followed by autoclaving) and the bacterial cultures were maintained on this medium by regular subculturing and incubation at 37oC for 24 hrs. However, for the cultivation of fungi, potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium was prepared by mixing 1000 ml potato infusion prepared from 200 g potatoes, 20 g agar and 20 g dextrose, followed by autoclaving. The test fungi were incubated at 27oC for 48 hrs and the cultures were maintained on the same medium by regular subculturings. To prepare the test plates, in both bacteria and fungi, 10-15 ml of the respective medium was poured into the petri dishes and used for screening. For assessing the antibacterial efficacy, a fresh suspension of the test bacteria was prepared in saline solution from a freshly grown agar slant, while for fungicidal efficacy, a uniform spread of the test fungi was made using sterile swab.

Paper disc diffusion method
For both, antibacterial and antifungal assays, Disc diffusion method was adopted, because of reproductivity and precision. The different test organisms were preceded separately using a sterile swab over previously sterilized culture medium plates and the zone of inhibitions were measured around sterilized dried discs of Whatman No.1 paper (6 mm in diameter), which were containing 8, 6, 4 and 2 mg/disc of the test extracts and control streptomycin (for bacteria) and ketoconozole (for fungi) as reference drugs separately. Such treated discs were air-dried at room temperature, to remove any residual solvent which might interfere with the determination, sterilized and inoculated. Before incubation, these plates were placed at low temperature for 1 hr so as to allow maximum diffusion of the compound from the test discs into the agar plate and later, incubated at 37oC for 24 hrs in case of bacteria and 48 hrs of fungi, after which the zone of inhibition could be easily observed. Three replicates of each test extract were examined and the mean values were taken.

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Results & Discussion
Investigating the antimicrobial effect of F. racemosa roots involved a comparison with commercially available antibiotics showed a larger inhibitory effect than the F. racemosa root ethanolic extract. This is not surprising and reinforces the position that commercially perfected and tested antibiotics should be used in treatments whenever available. It was found that the ethanolic extract exhibited good activity (Table I) against E. coli and E. cloacae, moderate activity against the P. aeroginosa, while exhibited trace activity against B. subtilis at all concentration. Evaluation of the test extract for antifungal activity (Table II) indicated that the ethanolic root extract were moderately active against P. chrysogenum T. rubrum and C. albicans at all concentration and found non active against A. niger at all concentration. The demonstration of activity of the extract against bacteria and fungi is an indication of the broad spectrum of activity and thus can be used to source antibiotic substances for drug development that can be used in control of these bacterial and fungal
infection17.

Table No. 1:
Antibacterial activity of ethanolic root extract of Ficus racemosa Linn.

Table No. 2:
Anti fungal activity of ethanolic root extract of Ficus racemosa Linn.

The phytochemical screening results indicated the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoidal glycoside, steroids and tannins as the main constituents that might be responsible for antimicrobial activity of the test extract. Flavonoids are hydroxylated phenolic substances occur as C3-C6 unit linked to an aromatic ring. They are known to be synthesized by plant in response to microbial infection. Their activity is probably due to their ability to complex with bacterial cell walls. More lipophilic flavonoids may disrupt the microbial membrane1. The flavonoids extracted from impatiens roots were believed to be responsible for the antimicrobial activity18 . Tannins have received a great deal of attention in recent years, since it was suggested that the consumption of tannin containing beverages, especially green teas and red wines, can cure and prevent a variety of ills. Their mode of antimicrobial action may be related to their ability to inactivate microbial adhesion, enzyme, cells envelop transport proteins etc. They also combine with polysaccharides1. The mode of action of antimicrobial effects of saponins seems to involve membranolytic

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Conclusion
As the rapid emergence of drug-resistant organism necessitates the continuous search of new antimicrobial substances, natural product may act as alternative for antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agent in certain circumstances. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of F. racemosa root was able to inhibit all of the bacteria and fungi used in this study with different degree of inhibition. The information obtained may provide validation for its reported medicinal uses. In conclusion, the ethanolic root extract of F. racemosa is more effective against the tested bacteria than the fungi.

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References
1. M. M. Cowan Plant products as antimicrobial agen. Clin Microbio Rev. 12 (1999) 564.

2. Jiangsu New Medical College. A dictionary of the Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai, People’s Press, 1977, p. 177.

3. S. C.Mandal, P. K. Mukherjee, K. Saha, J. Das, M. Pal and B. P. Saha, Evaluation of hepatoprotective potential of Cassia tora leaf extract, Nat. Prod. Sci., 3 (1997) 122.

4. N. N. Rehman, M. Khan, R. Hasan. Bioactive component from Ficus glomerata. Pure Appl. Chem., 66 (1994) 2287.

5. A. K. Singh, R. Choudhri, S. J. Manohar. Herbal formulation for prevention and treatment of diabetes and associated complications, Conf. Pharmacol. Symp. Herbal Drug, 15 (1991) 13.

6. C. P. Trivedi, S. Shinde, R. C. Sharma. Preliminary phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Ficus racemosa (Gular). Indian J. Med. Res., 57 (1969) 1070.

7. M. Forestieri, M. T. Monfortc, S. Rahusa, A. Trovato, L. Lauk. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity in rodents of plant extract used in African medicine. Phytother. Res., 10 (1996) 100.

8. S. C. Mandal, T. K. Maity, J. Das, B. P. Saha, M. Pal. Antipyretic activity of methanolic extract of leaves of Ficus racemosa Linn. on albino rats, J. Ethnopharmacol., 72 (2000) 87

.9. S. C. Mandal, B. P. Saha, M. Pal. Studies on antibacterial activity of Ficus racemosa Linn. leaf extract Phytother. Res., 14 (2000) 278

10. S. C. Mandal, P. K. Mukherjee, K. Saha, M. Pal, B. P. Saha. Antiinflammatory evaluation of Ficus racemosa leaf extract, Nat. Prod. Sci., 3 (1977) 100.

11. R. B. Rao, K. Anupama, K. R. L. Anand Swaroop, M. Pal, S. C. Mandal. Evaluation of anti-pyretic potential of Ficus racemosa bark Phytomedicine, 9 (2002) 731.

12. R. K. Baslas, R. Agha. Isolation of a hypoglycaemic principle from the bark of. Ficus glomerata Roxb Himalayan Chem. Pharm. Bull., 2 (1985) 13.

13. P. K. Mukherjee, J. Das, R. Balasubramanian, K. Saha, M. Pal, B. P. Saha. Preparation and Evaluation of a Herbal Uterine Tonic Phytother. Res., 10, (1996) 619.

14. M. P. Chary, S.M. Reddy. Protease activity of some latex bearing plants Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett., 6 (1983) 183.

15. P. K. Mukherjee, K. Saha, T. Murugesan, S. C. Mandal, M. Pal, B. P. Saha. Screening of antidiarrhoeal profile of some plant extracts of a specific region of West Bengal, India J. Ethnopharmacol., 60 (1998) 85.

16. S. C. Mandal, B. P. Saha, M. Pal. Studies on antibacterial activity of Ficus racemosa Linn. leaf extract Phytother. Res., 14 (2000) 278.

17. J. H. Doughari, S. Manzara. In vitro antibacterial activity of crude leaf extracts of Mangifera indica Linn African J. Microbial Res. 2 (2008) 67.

18. P. Rattnachaikunsopon, P. Phumkhachorn, Contents and antibacterial activity of flavanoids extracted from leaves of Psidium guajava L. J. Med Plants Res. 4 (2010) 393.

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