A preliminary assessment of phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial properties

in three common traditional medicinal plants of Madurai

by

ANANDARAJ P (06BOT01)ANANTHVINOTHAN I (06BOT02)

ARUN PANDI N (06BOT04)

Under the guidance of

Dr. G. C. ABRAHAM

INTRODUCTION

Resurgence of interest on herbal

medicine and traditional practices.

FRLHT, MSSRF – agency involved in

protecting the indigenous knowledge and

information.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

To collect information on common plants

that are used by the community as medicine.

To study the specific uses of the selected

plants.

To conduct phytochemical tests and an

antimicrobial assay on the selected plants.

METHODOLOGY

1. Field survey and collection of data. (a) Interviewing the practitioners and public with

prepared questionnaire (b) Documentation of information in the form of

tables

2. Phytochemical investigation of shoot extracts. (c) Solvent extraction

3. Antimicrobial assay

QUESTIONNAIRE (model)

A mini-survey on the therapeutic uses of certain common medicinal herbs at Madurai and its suburbs

S.no Plant Species

Family Common name Medicinal practice

Region Mode of use Purpose

1 Aerva lenata Amaranthaceae Koorai poo Kulasekaran kottai Wet pasteTo remove poison

2 Aristalochia bracteata Aristalochiaceae Aaduthinaa kulai Nagamalai Wet paste Itching

3 Anisochilus ovata Lamiaceae Sethukku raja Poikaraipatti Wet paste Ringworm

4 Blepharis mulluginifolia AcanthaceaeKayamarunthu

chediApan thriupathi Wet paste

Bruises and cut wounds

5 Cadaba fruticosa Capparaceae Vivili Azhagar kiol Wet paste and oilLigament disposition & coolant

6 Cardiospermum halicacabum Sapindaceae Mudakkathan Kogimangalam Leaf juice Gastric problems

7 Centella asiatica Apiaceae Vallarai Poikaraipatti Wet pateImporves memeory and nervine

8 Cocculus hirsutus Menispermaceae Kattukodi Nagamalai Leaf juiceCoolant & Fabrifuge

9 Delonix elata Caesalpinniceae Vavari kaachi Kammachipuram Leaf paste Rheumatic pain

10 Dodonea viscosa Sapindaceae Virali KamatchipuramPaste with gingili

oilRheumatism and swelling of bones

11 Euphorbia hirta Euphorbiaceae Amman pacharisi Vaadipatti Wet pasteAntiasthmatic and diarrhoea

12 Vitex negundo Verbenaceae Notchi NagamalaiInhalement of

VaporHead ache

Binomial – Cardiospermum halicacabum LinnCommon – Ballon vine, winter cherry.

Family – Sapindaceae

Tamil - Mudakkathan

Binomial – Coccinia indica W&A

Common – Ivy-gourd

Family – Cucurbitaceae

Tamil – Kovai kodi

Binomial – Vitex negundo LinnCommon – Cat leaf chaste tree

Family – Verbenaceae

Tamil - Notchi

PLANT EXTRACTION PROCEDURE

Extracted with distilled water

Aqueous extract

Extracted with alcohol

Greenish black residue

Alcoholic extract

Dark green residue

Dry coarse shoot material extracted by Soxhlet method and in iodine flask

Sl. no

Phytochemical tests General Results

1

Test For CARBOHYDRATES

a. Molisch’s test Brown ring formation

b. Fehling’s test Brick red color formation

c. Benedict’s test Yellow precipitate formation

Test for starch Blue color formation

2

Test For GUMS And MUCILAGE Alcoholic precipitation and Molisch’s test

Swelling in dried filtrate

3

Test For PROTEINS And AMINO ACIDS

a. Ninhydrin test Purple color formation

b. Biuret test Violet color formation

c. Tannic acid test White precipitate formation

4

Test For FIXED OILS And FATS

a. Spot test Stains of oils in paper

b. Saponification test Soap formation

5

Test For ALKALOIDS

a. Dragendorff’s testOrange brown precipitate formation

b. Wagner’s testReddish brown precipitate formation

6

Test For GLYCOSIDES

a. Legal’s test pink color formation

b. Borntrager’s test Pink color formation

c. Cyanogenetic glycoside test Brick color formation

7

Test Of PHYTOSTEROLS

a. Liebermann’s test Blue color formation

b. Liebermann-Burchard’s test Green color formation

8

Test For FLAVANOIDS

a. Ferric chloride testBlackish red color formation

b. Shinoda’s testMagenta color formation

c. Flavones Orange color formation

9

Test For TANNINS

a. 5% ferric chloride solution test

Bluish black color formation

b. Reaction with lead acetate

White precipitate formation

c. GelatinWhite precipitate formation

d. Potassium ferric cyanide test Red color formation

10Test For SAPONINS

Frothing test Formation of foam

PHYTOCHEMICAL TESTS

Sl.no

Test for plant constituents

Plant species

Vitex Coccinia Cardiospermum

PE OH Aq PE OH Aq PE OH Aq

1 Carbohydrates - - - - - - - - -

2 Gums & Mucilage - - - - - - - - -

3Proteins & Amino Acids

- - - - - - - - -

4 Sterol - + + - - - + + +

5 Alkaloids - - - - + + - + +

6 Glycosides - + + - - - - - -

7 Flavanoids + + + - - - - - -

8Tannins and Phenolics + + + - _ - - + +

9 Saponins - - - - - - - + -

PE -Petroleum Ether, OH –Methanol and Aq stands for Aqueous extracts.

Phytochemical screening of selected plant species (End results)

ANTIMICROBIAL ASSAY

Selection of microbial culture.

Preparation of Muller-Hinton agar plates.

Spreading the microbial culture.

Wells creation over the medium.

Loading the wells with extracts.

Analyzing the zone of inhibition after incubation.

Targeted microbe

Plant species

Vitex Coccinia Cardiospermum

Escherichia coli (with aqueous extract )

- - -

Staphylococcus aureus (with aqueous extract )

+ + -

E.coli (with Methanol extract )

- + -

S. aureus (with Methanol extract )

+ ++ +

E.coli (with pet ether extract)- - -

S. aureus (with pet ether extract)

++ ++++ ++

RESPONSES: - indicate absence of any effect. +, ++ & +++ indicate the extent of the zone of inhibition in increasing order.

Test for the antimicrobial activity of three selected species of medicinal

plants

Control (E.coli)Control

(Staphyllococcus aureus)

Coccinia indica W&A pet ether extract showing resistance against S.aureus growth.

Methanol extract of Coccinia showing inhibition activity over E.coli..

ANTIMICROBIAL ASSAY WITH SELECTED STRAINS

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Many common plants have medicinal property.

Of these, the three selected plants have some

special constituents.

Among the selected strains, S.aureus (G+) is

controlled more than E.coli (G-).

Of the three plants, Coccinia is more effective

than the other two.

Among the extracts, organic is more effective

than aqueous and in that methanol is better than

per ether extract.

THANK YOU