Phytochemical and Antibacterial screening on leaves of Solanum torvum

 

Sabarinath C¹*, Sudhakar P¹, Shanmuganath C²

¹Department of Pharmacology, Swamy Vivekanandha College of Pharmacy, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu – 637205,

²Research Student, Department of Parasitology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh – 243122,

 

ABSTRACT:

This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical constituents and screening the antibacterial activity of leaf extract of Solanum torvum against the some micro organisms which are resistant to various antibiotics. Solanum torvum leaf material was collected and made petroleum ether extract. In this study, we identified the active phytochemical components and examined the in-vitro effect of extracts of solanum torvum on Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimuriam, Escherichia coli, Klebsielle pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris. The phytochemical constituents were determined by using chemical reagents and performed corresponding tests. The sensitivity of tested bacteria to extract was determined by measuring the diameter of inhibition zones formed in the culture plates. The conclusion of the study showed that the Solanum torvum leaves possess antibacterial activity.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The role of medicinal plants in the alleviation human suffering is most important. Man depends on the nature since his existence for survival, and diseases. Instinctive urge, intuition and the accumulated knowledge has guided him to discover remedies for common ailments from natural sources even in the remote past. The Indian system of medicine itself is of great antiquity and is believed to be one of the most ancient ¹.

 

 

Undoubtedly, we have a vast, promising and yet unexplored of medicinal plants some of which are already in wide clinical use as crude drug preparation of formulation. Efforts must therefore, continue to re-evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Ayurvedic drugs and standardize the preparation by chemical and bio-chemical assay to ensure the consistency of active principles in each dose. The seasonal variation of the active components, their efficacy and appropriate methods of storage need to be carefully assessed. Modern Science demands meticulous work on the drugs on a rational basis to make them more acceptable for the benefit of mankind ².

 

Indian unquestionably occupies the top position in the use of herbal drugs. It is one of the foremost countries exporting plant drug and their derivatives and excels in home consumption too.

In the first stage, crude drugs were employed in raw form. In the second stage, they were used in forms of extract or solutions, which are more active and manageable. In the third stage, active principles separated from crude drugs were employed ³.

 

Herbs have been used as a source of drugs ever since man started treatment for various ailments, affecting human beings. Every herb has a range of secondary metabolites, which are provided as a result of metabolic activities in the plants. These compounds either alone or in combination with others are reported to be mainly responsible for the specific physiological changes or the therapeutic action in the human body when administrated as a medicament.

 

Antibiotic (or) chemotherapeutic agents are naturally inhibiting the growth of the micro-organisms. The susceptibility is based on genetically determined characteristics of individual organisms. Specific antibiotic therapy is important for clinical findings. The variety of antibiotic to which a given organism is susceptible called antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Prolonged antibiotic therapy is used against infections agent’s leads to resistant strains of originally sensitive organisms have developed ⁴.

 

The parts of the plant have been employed as sedative, diuretic and digestive. The leaves and berries of the plant are used as food and also used in the treatment of coughs and colds. It has also been used in ethnomedicine as a tonic and haemopoetic agent and for relief from pain. The leaf extract of the plant has been reported to possess antiviral and anti-ulcerogenic properties. Root pastes are used in rhagades ⁵.

 

Based on the above fact the effort has been made, to explore the phytochemical and anti-bacterial properties of leaves of Solanum torvum (Sw).

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant Material:

The plant was collected (Solanum torvum Family Solanaceae) in the month of January-February in and around the rural areas of Tiruchengode, Namakkal, Tamilnadu. Plant material was identified and authenticated by Botanical survey of India, Southern circle, Coimbatore.

 

Preparation Extract:

The leaves of the plant Solanum torvum were collected in the evening and the collected leaves were cleaned, and removed the unwanted materials like dirt, beetles, ants, small insects and extraneous plant material. It was dried in shadow region for ten days. Then they were subjected to possible size reduction. The weight of the powdered leaves was about 260gm ⁶. Then the powdered material was extracted with petroleum ether by continuous hot percolation method by using soxhlet apparatus for about 18 hours.

 

Preliminary phytochemical Screening:

The extract obtained was analysed for the different chemical groups to assess the phytoconstituents present are alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, fixed oils, fats, tannins, phenolic compounds, proteins, amino acids, saponins, gums, mucilage, etc ^7,8,9,10.

 

Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity:

Micro-organisms Used

Six aerobic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimuriam, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomons aeuriginosa) were employed for the present investigation. The 6 bacterial strains are potentially pathogenic in nature.

 

Kirby – Bauer Disc Diffusion Method:

Kirby – Bauer disc diffusion method is commonly employed for antibiotic sensitivity test. The test is based on the fact that for a given antibiotic, the size of the zone of inhibition is related to the MIC. MIC referred as the lowest concentration of antibiotic that inhibits the zone of inhibition of the assay plate ¹¹.

 

Preparation of Inoculums:

Only clinical isolates were used for sensitivity test.5-6 colonies selected and inoculated the colonies into trypticase soy broth with help of wire loop. The broth culture incubated at 35-37°C for 2-5 hours. A sterile cotton swab dipped into the diluted inoculumar and rotated the swab inside wall of the tube remove excess inoculums. The agar surface of the plate streaked in three directions turning the plate 60° between each streaking. The lid of petridishes closed and kept at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to dry the inoculums confluent growth is desirable for accurate results. The sensitivity discs removed from their respective vials with the help of a flamed forceps and carefully placed them in the plate, at least 24mm away from the edge. Equal distance of placement to avoid the overlapping of the zones of inhibition. Then pressed them lightly with the surface of the medium. Allowed the plates to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes [pre diffusion time].The plates were incubated at 37°C for 16-18          hours ¹¹.

 

Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity:

The filter paper disc method was used for the evaluation of antibacterial activity of extracts of Solanum torvum against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus substillis, Escherichia coli, Klebsielle pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris. All the organisms were completely resistant against the extract ¹².The diameter of the Zone of inhibition was measured at the end of incubation period. The zones that are showing complete inhibition were measured and recorded the zone diameter to the nearest mm.

 

RESULTS:

Table 1: Antibacterial activity of petroleum ether extract of Solanum torvum against

SL. NO	Name of the organism	Disc diffusion method
		Zone of inhibition in mm concentrations / Disc Petroleum ether extract
		1 mg	2 mg	3 mg	4 mg	5 mg
1	Staphylococcus aureus	10mm	11mm	12mm	14mm	16mm
2	Salmonella typhimuriam	-	-	-	-	-
3	Escherichia coli	-	-	-	-	-
4	Klebsielle pneumoniae	-	-	-	-	-
5	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	-	-	-	-	-
6	Proteus vulgaris	-	-	-	-	-

 

 

Figure 1: Antibacterial activity of Solanum torvum against Staphylococcus aureus

 

DISCUSSION:

Phytochemical screening of medicinal plants is very important in identifying new sources of therapeutically and industrially important compounds. It is imperative to initiate urgent steps for screening of plants for secondary metabolites.

 

After the powdered material was subjected to petroleum ether extract the yield obtained was 9.5gm.The Preliminary Phytochemical screening with petroleum ether extract reports showed that the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, steroids.

 

Above table no.1 represents the antibacterial activity of Petroleum ether extract of Solanum torvum. The results revealed that the Petroleum ether passes to inhibits, gram positive organism. The Petroleum extract will exhibit Anti – bacterial activity against staphylococcus aureus at a maximum effective concentration of 5mg. The zone of inhibition was measured to be 16mm (Figure1). 

 

 

CONCLUSION:

The species is included among the ingredients of various indigenous herbal medicines for treating a number of diseases. The presence of flavonoids, glycosides, steroids may be responsible for the antibacterial effects.

 

The overall results of this study showed that the petroleum ether extract of the Solanum torvum possess antibacterial activity against staphylococcus aureus, that can justify their traditional use in the treatment of infected diseases. However, further studies are definitely required to put light on the unknown biological activities of Solanum torvum and its effect on living organisms, tissues or cells against various diseases.

 

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