Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MURRAYA KOENIGII

V. Ramamurthy* and A. S. Prasanth

Abstract

The worldwide increase of multidrug resistance in both community and health-care associated bacterial infections has impaired the current antimicrobial therapy, warranting the search for other alternatives. We aimed to find the in vitro antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Murraya koenigii traditionally used medicinal plants and the leaves have tremendous medicinal values. The present investigation deals with qualitative screening of secondary metabolite and antimicrobial activity of M. koenigii leaves extract belongs to family of Rutaceae. Plant metabolites screenings were performed by using various solvents systems of varying polarity of acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts. In this examination the crude extracts showed the presence of flavonoids, carbohydrates, saponins, phlobatannins, and volatile oil while Phenol, steroids and terpenoids were absent in all the solvents. Alkaloids present in acetone and ethanolic extracts. On the other hand tannins were absent only in acetone extracted. The ethanolic leaf extract was tested against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial pathogens. Plant extract showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis while no inhibitory activity against Klepseilla pneumoniae. The phytochemical property of M. koenigii may be attributed to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds with rich antioxidant potential. Thus, curry leaves could be effective for prevention of bacterial infections and may be considered as an alternative to antibiotic regimens.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Murraya koenigii, phytochemical analysis.