Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF TRIBAL MEDICINES COLLECTED FROM WAYANAD DISTRICT, KERALA

Devi Prasad A.G.*, Raghavendra M.P. and Shyma T.B

Abstract

The study reports the antibacterial and antifungal activity of aqueous, diethyl ether and methanol extracts of leaves of 20 medicinal plants belonging to 16 different families against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Microsporum racemosum. These plants were regularly used for the treatment of various ailments by the kurichia, kuruma, kattunaika, adiya and paniya tribes located in three taluks Mananthavady, Bathery and Vythiri of Wayanad district, Kerala. Shade dried leaves of all the plants were subjected to extraction using diethyl ether, methanol, and water and the extracts were used in the study. Documentation and analysis of tribal medicines, phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of all the extracts by well diffusion method were done for all twenty plants. Among the plant extracts, aqueous extract of Garcinia gummi gutta (L.) Robson and diethyl ether extract of Alstonia vernata R.Br. showed significant inhibitory activity against E. coli. The diethyl ether extract of Garcinia gummi gutta, Breynia vitis-idaea, Madhuka longifolia and Strobilanthes alata revealed inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Methanolic extract of Nothapodytes nimmoniana Graham recorded significant antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Microsporum racemosum even compared to micanozole. The study is the first to document the ethno medicines used by five tribal communities and an attempt has been made to scientifically validate the antimicrobial activity of these tribal medicines.

Keywords: Antifungal, Antibacterial, Traditional healers, Wayanad, Ethnomedicines.