You are on page 1of 6

International Research Journal of Plant Science (ISSN: 2141-5447) Vol. 2(11) pp.

332-337, November 2011 Available online http://www.interesjournals.org/IRJPS Copyright 2011 International Research Journals

Full length Research Paper

Antimicrobial activity nutritional profile and quantitative study of different fractions of ficus palmata
Sarla Saklani1 and Subhash Chandra1*
1

Department of Pharmaceutical Science, H. N. B. G. U. (Central University), Srinagar Garhwal Uttarakhand India


Accepted 30 August, 2011

The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts of Ficus palmata were tested against ten bacterial strains and three fungal strains by disc diffusion method. The ethanolic bark extracts of Ficus palmata showed significant activity (18 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus. The medicinal plant fruit contain ash value, (total ash) moisture; crude fat and crude fiber, extractive values were studied fresh part weight. The preliminary phytochemical analysis test showed the presence of carbohydrates and glycosides, alkaloid, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, unsaturated triterpenoids and sterol, resin. Keywords: Antibacterial, antifungal, nutritional value, and phytochemical screening. INTRODUCTION Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known to mankind. Herbs have been used by all cultures throughout the history and they constitute an integral part of the development of modern civilization. Medicinal and aromatic plants and their derived are rich in antibacterial compounds which could be an alternate way to combat bacterial diseases even against some bacteria which are becoming resistant to certain synthetic medicines (Ahmad et al., 1998; Aswal et al., 1996). In recent years, multiple drug/chemical resistance in both human and plant pathogenic microorganisms have been developed due to indiscriminate use of commercial antimicrobial drugs/chemical commonly used in the treatment of infectious diseases. This situation has forced scientists to search new antimicrobial substances in various sources (Kumar et al., 2006). The present study aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of plant Ficus palmata extracts against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains isolated from human infections. Further acquaintance with different ethnic groups has contributed to the development of research on natural products, to the increase in knowledge about the close relationship between the antimicrobial activity of a certain compound and its biological properties, In terms of using plant materials for traditional medicinal plants, which form the backbone of traditional medicine, have in the last few decades been the subject for very intense pharmacological studies (Anonymous et al., 1994; Arora et al., 1997). For these reasons, medicinal plants are important substances for the study of their traditional uses through the verification of pharmacological effects and can be natural composite sources that act as new anti-infectious agents. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plant Material The fresh parts of fruit, bark, root and leaf of Ficus palmata, was collected from adjoining area of Ghat city (Dist- Chamoli, Uttarakhand) in the month of August. The plant was authenticated by botanist Dr. R. D. Guar, Department of Botany; H. N. B. G. U. Srinagar Garhwal. Preparation of plant Extract ABBREVIATIONS: MIC: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration. The plant material was separated into its selected parts (bark, leaf, root and fruit) air dried ground to moderately

*Corresponding Author E-mail: subhashkothiyal@gmail.com

Saklani and Chandra 333 fine powder and Soxhlet extracted with increasing polarity solvent (Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanolic, ethanolic and water) (LIN et al., 1999). Each extract was evaporated to dryness under reduce pressure using rotary evaporator. The coarse powder of fruit bark and root was subjected to successive hot continuous extraction with various solvent each time before extracting with next solvent the powdered material will be air dried (weight of crude extract 100gm). The various concentrated extracts were stored in air tight container for further studies. Media Nutrient broth, Nutrient agar, Muller Hinton agar, Malt extract broth and Sabouraud dextrose agar, Alcohol, Hydrochloric acid, alcohol, and sulphuric acid, Distilled water etc all product of Himedia Laboratories Mumbai (India) were used in this study. Bacterial Strains Ten bacterial strains were used namely Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter gergoviae, salmonella entericatyphim, shigella flexneri, Staphyloccus aureus, staphyloccus epidermidis, streptococcus pyogenes, and Bacillus cereus, The bacterial strains were supplied by the Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India. (Customer no. 3921) Fungal Strains Three fungal strains were used namely Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, The fungal strains were supplied by the Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India. Antibacterial assay The disc diffusion assay methods were used to determine the growth inhibition of bacteria by plant extracts (Iennette et al., 1985, Rosoanaivo and Ratsimanaga 1993). Diluted bacterial culture (100l) was spread over nutrient agar plates with a sterile glass L-rod. 10mg/ml and 50mg/ml of the each extracts were applied to each filter paper disc (Whatman No. 1, 5 mm diam.) and allowed to dry before being placed on the agar plate. Each extract was tested in triplicate (3 discs/ plate) and the plates were inoculated at 37 C for 24 h. After incubation, the diameter of inhibition zones was measured with a caliper. Antifungal assay The antifungal activity was tested by disc diffusion method (Taylo et al., 1995; Espinel Ingroff, 2002). The Sabouraud dextrose agar plates were each similarly seeded with each fungal strain The 24 hrs. broth culture of each bacterium and 7 days inoculated fungus culture were used to seed sterile Sabouraud dextrose agar at 45 C respectively, and fungal plates were incubated at 25-28 C for 7 days after which diameter of zones of inhibition were measured. Each disc filled with extract. Nutritional and Mineral assay The number of water molecule is contain % of moisture, Pt. ether and hexane soluble part is called crude fat and the non soluble part of acid- base medium is called crude fibre (cellulose and lignin), and mineral estimated by flame photometry (Gaur et al 1999, and Badoni 1994). RESULT AND DISCUSSION Plants are important source of potentially useful structures for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents. The first step towards this goal is the in vitro antimicrobial activity assay (Tona et al., 1998). The results of antibacterial, antifungal, nutritional value and phytochemical screening activity, table 1, 2, 3, and 4, reveals that antibacterial, antifungal, nutritional, and phytochemical screening activity of bark and fruit explants of Ficus palmata was evaluated against ten bacterial and three fungal pathogenic strains. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the results of this investigation revealed that antimicrobial and antifungal activity against selected bacterial and fungal strains. The differentiating activities against variety of microorganisms of these five fraction encourage developing a novel broad spectrum antimicrobial formulation in future. Now our research will be directed to develop a broad spectrum antimicrobial herbal formulation with this plant. Even at low concentrations, these species showed high antimicrobial and antifungal activity nearly equal to that of the commercial fungicide used as a positive control. Further studies are needed to determine the chemical identity of the bioactive compounds responsible for the observed antimicrobial and antifungal activity. Natural plant-derived fungicides may be a source of new alternative active compounds, they can be used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by resistant microbes. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors are grateful to the UCOST, Dehradun for financial support and the institute of microbial technology sector 39-A, Chandigarh India, for providing bacterial and fungal chemicals.

334 Int. Res. J. Plant Sci.

Table1. Antibacterial activity of ten bacterial strains against Ficus palmata plant extract. Disc size, 5 mm, Inhibitory zone size 1 mm, mm means (millimetres) and indicate (NIZ) No inhibitory zone.
Petroleum ether Extract MTCC (Code) 1272 729 621 432 98 1457 902 435 1925 443 10 Mg/ ml 50 Mg/ ml 7 Chloroform Extract 10 50 Mg Mg /ml /ml 9 8 7 7 7 8 10 8 8 10 9 9 8 9 Ethyl acetate Extract 10 50 Mg/ Mg/ Ml ml 11 11 14 6 14 11 11 16 14 11 13 Acetone Extract 10 50 Mg/ Mg/ ml ml 7 7 8 7 7 Methanol Extract 10 50 Mg/ Mg/ ml ml 9 11 11 12 11 12 12 17 16 14 14 Ethanol Extract 10 50 Mg/ Mg/ ml ml 6 7 8 6 8 7 8 7 6 6 16 10 13 12 14 13 18 11 12 15 Water Extract 10 50 Mg/ Mg/ ml ml 7 9 9 8 7 9 8 9 7 8 9

Bacterial Name Genus /Species/Subspe. Bacillus cereus Escherichia coli Enterobacter gergoviae Klebsiella pneumonia Salmonella entericatyphim Shigella flexneri Staphyloccus aureus Staphyloccus epidermidis Streptococcus pyogenes Escherichia coli

Table 2. Fungal activity of three fungal strains against Ficus palmata plant extract. Disc size, 5 Mm, Inhibitory zone size 1 Mm, Mm means (millimetres) and indicate (NIZ) No inhibitory zone. Petroleum ether Extract MTCC (Code) 10 Mg/ ml 50 Mg/ ml Chloroform Extract 10 Mg /ml 50 Mg /ml Ethyl acetate Extract 10 Mg/ ml 50 Mg/ Ml Acetone Extract 10 Mg/ ml 50 Mg/ ml Methanol Extract 10 Mg/ ml 50 Mg/ ml 8 7 7 Ethanol Extract 10 M g/ ml 50 Mg/ ml 8 7 8 Water Extract 10 Mg/ ml 50 M g/ ml -

Fungal Name Genus /Species/Sub spe. Candida albicans Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus parasiticus

3017 2798 2796

Saklani and Chandra 335

Table 3. Nutritional value of Ficus palmata fruit.


Nutrients Moisture (%) Ash (%) Total nitrogen (%) Total protein (%) Crude fat (%) Crude fibre (%) Carbohydrate Organic matter Ascorbic acid Energy value K Cal N (Mg/100gm) Ca (Mg/100gm) Mg (Mg/100gm) K (Mg/100gm) P (Mg/100gm) Fe (Mg/100gm) Value 48.20 0.15 4.06 0.08 0.73 0.07 4.06 0.04 4.71 0.25 17.65 0.09 20.78 0.16 95.90 0.22 0.83 0.15 107.37 0.15 0.73 0.12 1.54 0.13 0.92 0.15 1.58 0.25 1.88 0.20 0.018 0.02

Table 4. Phytochemical screening of wild edible fruits F. P Ficus palmata, (F Fruit, B Bark, R Root,) (+) Present, (-) Absent, Test Carbohydrates/ glycosides Molish test Fehling test Benedict test Alkaloid Mayers test Dragondroff test Flavonoids Saponins Tannins Pyrogoll & catechol Gallic acid Unsaturated sterol/triterpenes Liebermann Burchard test Salkowiskis test Resin FPF (+) (+) (+) (-) (+) (+) (-) (-) (-) (+) (-) (-) FPB (+) (+) (+) FPR (+) (+) (+) (-) (-) (-) (-) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+)

(+) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+)

336 Int. Res. J. Plant Sci.

Figure 1 and 2. Antimicrobial activity of ten bacterial strains and three fungal strains Against Ficus palmata plant extract

Figure 3. Comparison of per day intake of nutrients by Adults with the nutrients present in the fruits of Ficus palmata.

Saklani and Chandra 337

Figure 4. Comparison of per day intake of minerals by Adults with the mineral present in the fruits of Ficus palmata.

REFERENCES Ahmad I, Mehmood Z, Mehmood I (1998). Screening of some Indian medicinal plants for their antimicrobial properties. J. Ethnopharmacol. 62: 183- 193. Anonymous (1994). Ethno-botany in India- A status report. All India coordinated research project in Ethno -botany, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi. Arora RK (1997). Ethno- botany and its role in the conservation and use of plant resources in India. Ethno- botany, 9: 6-15. Aswal BS, Goel AK, Patneik GK (1996). Screening of Indian medicinal plants for biological activity. Indian J. Exp. Biol., 34: 444- 467. Kumar RS, Sivakumar T, Sundaram RS, Sivakumar P, Nethaji R, Gupta M, Mazumdar UK (2006). Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Careya arborea Roxb. Stem Bark. Iranian J. pharmacol. Therapeut. 5:35-41. Lin J, Opak War, Geheeb-Keller M (1999). Preliminary screening of some traditional Zulu medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. J Ethnopharmacol. 68: 267274. Iennette EH (1985). Manual of clinical microbiology, 978987. 4th edition. American Association for Microbiology, Washington. Rosoanaivo , Ratsimanaga U (1993). Biological evaluation of plants with reference to the Malagasy flora. Monograph for the IFs. NAPRECA Workshop on Bioassays. Gaur RD (1999). Flora of the district Garhwal North West Himalaya, 1st Ed. Transmedia Srinagar Garhwal, July-1999, Badoni S, Rawat MSM, Negi YS (1994). Nutritional Composition of some Berberis species, J. Ind. J. of Hort. Pub. Provide page Tona L, Kambu K, Ngimbi N, Cimanga K, Vlietinck AJ (1998). Antiamoebic and phytochemical screening of some Congolese medicinal plants. J. Ethnopharmacol. 61: 57- 65. Taylor RSL, Manandhar NP, Hudson JB, Towers GHN (1995). Screening of selected medicinal plants of Nepal for antimicrobial activities. J. Ethnopharmacol., 546: 153-159. Espinel Ingroff A, Fothergill A, Peter J, Rinaldi MG, Walsh TJ (2002). Testing conditions for determination of minimum fungicidal concentrations of new and established antifungal agents for Aspergillus spp.: NCCLS Collaborative Study. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:3204-3208.

You might also like