Abstract

STUDY OF ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF BOERHAVIA DIFFUSA AND ITS ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AGAINST ORAL CANDIDIASIS

J. Renuka*

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Abstract

Plants have long since been deemed a valuable source of natural products for maintaining human health. The use of plant extracts and phytochemicals, with known antimicrobial properties, can be of great significance to therapeutic treatments. The present study suggest phytochemicals of Boerhavia diffusa reveals that the nature and amount of phytochemical varies according to the climate. Both the methanol and aqueous extract exhibited antifungal activity against both Candida albicans and Candida krusie. Methanol was better in the extraction of phytochemical from the whole plant powder compared to the aqueous extract. The FT-IR analysis of the methanol extract indicated the presence of aromatic compounds detected due to the presence of phenols responsible for the antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts. GCMS results also indicated the presence of compounds which anti-fungal, anti-microbial, antidiabetic, anti-oxidant and larvicidal properties. Both methanol and aqueous extracts showed anti-fungal properties against the C. albicans isolates (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) and C. krusie (isolate no 6). Total antioxidant activity (%) of B. diffusa had been estimated by DPPH method. The result shows free radicals scavenging activity higher in methanol extract of B. diffusa. Larvicidal activity of B. diffusa had been estimated. The result shows 50% mortality rate in methanol extract. By bioprospecting for the potential bio active components in the Boerhavia diffusa can lead to discovery of various components with therapeutic alternatives.

Keywords: Boerhavia diffusa, Larvicidal, Methanol, Candida albicans.