Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF LATEXES FROM SELECTED INDIAN PLANT SPECIES.

R. K. Upadhyay* Krishna Kumar Prajapati and Ravi Kumar Gupta

Abstract

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of latexes from four Indian plant species Thevetia nerifolia, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus glomerata and Calatropis procera were determined in vitro systems. MIC, MBC and MFC values were calculated using different increasing concentrations of plant latex in growth inhibitory assays in suspension culture. Inhibition zone diameter were measured according to Bauer et.al., 1966 in test microorganisms In subsequent assays, the susceptibility of latex samples was evaluated to determine inhibition of fungal mainly radial growth and length of mycelium and spore germination in Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus stolonifer. Latex fractions of Thevetia nerifolia, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus glomerata and Calatropis procera registered significantly higher growth inhibition than that of broad spectrum antimicrobial drugs. Water extract of Thevetia nerifolia has shown lowest MIC value against K. pneumoniae, E. coli and S. pneumoniae 0.10 and 0.20μg/ml respectively. Thevetia nerifoila, Artocarpus heterophyllus and Ficus glomerata and C. procera have shown low MBC values in a range of 0.488-2.62 μg/ml. More especially MBC value obtained in plant latex extracts were found significantly lower than that of broad spectrum antibiotics i.e. in a range of 2.50-5.00 μg/ml against all seven different bacterial strains tested. Latex extracts were found susceptible to all seven bacterial strains tested as the IZD obtained were found more than 18 mm. Highest inhibition zone diameter against M. luteus (33.2mm) followed by K. pneumoniae (29.26mm) and L. acidophilus (28.43mm) was obtained in presence of methanolic extract of Thevetia nerifolia. Present study indicates that plant latex is inhibitory to the microbes and can bes used as a valuable source of medicinal products/active principles with proven potential of treating life threatening infectious diseases. Because of higher inhibitory and cidal potential obtained in latexes than the synthetic drugs these can be recommended for preparation of drug formulations.

Keywords: Plant latex, Thevetia nerifolia, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus glomerata and Calatropis procera, antibacterial and antifungal activity.