International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Ethnomedicinal plants of Assam, India as an Alternative source of future Medicine for Treatment of Pneumonia

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, Assam, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 3, Issue (10), Pages 76-82, October,10 (2014)

Abstract

In Assam there are several plants used in folk medicine for treatment of pneumonia but for integration of these ethnomedicine into modern medicine system there must be scientific proof for the bioactivity of these traditionally used plants. The present work was conducted to asses antibacterial activity of selected ethnomedicinal plant species used traditionally for pneumonia treatment in Assam. Eighty plant extracts (prepared with solvents with increasing polarity) from 20 plants belonging to 17 families were screened for their antibacterial activity using disc diffusion method against two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus [MTCC96] , Streptococcus pneumoniae [MTCC655]) and two Gram negative ( E.coli [MTCC443] and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [MTCC424]) bacteria. Out of the twenty plants screened fourteen plants showed varying degree of antibacterial activity against at least one human pathogen tested. Chloroform extract of Mucuna pruriens and petroleum ether extract of Xanthium strumanium showed strong antibacterial activity with higher zone of inhibition than the control viz. chloramphenicol against S. pneumoniae (15.33mm) and S. aureus (15mm) respectively. The present study provides scientific evidence for the use of majority of the studied medicinal plants including Mucuna pruriens and Xanthium strumanium in traditional medicine and these could serve a potential source of alternative antibacterial drugs in future.

References

  1. Mandell L.A., Wunderink R.G., Anzueto A., Bartlett J. G., Campbell D. et al., Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults, Clin. Infect. Dis., 44(2), 27–72 (2007)
  2. Saad S., Taher M., Susanti D., Qaralleh H., Awang A. F. I. B., In vitro antimicrobial activity of mangrove plant Sonneratia alba, Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 2(6), 427-429 (2012)
  3. Raja R. D., Jeeva S., Prakash J.W., Antonisamy J. M., Irudayaraj V., Antibacterial activity of selected ethnomedicinal plants from South India, Asian Pac J Trop Med., 4(5), 375-378 (2011)
  4. Khadri H., Surekha S., Lakshmi S., Narasimha G., Multi drug resistance and -lactamase production by Klebsiella pneumonia, Afr. J. Biotechnol, 6 (15), 1791-1793 (2007)
  5. Haessler S. D., Brown R. B., Pneumonia Caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, 46(5), 62-67 (2009)
  6. Coates A., Hu Y., Bax R., Page C., The future challenges facing the development of new antimicrobial drugs, Nat Rev Drug Discov., 1(11), 895-910 (2002)
  7. Sittiwet, C., and Puangpronpitag D., Antimicrobial properties of Derris scandens aqueous extract, J. Biol. Sci., 9(6), 607–611 (2009)
  8. Cowan, M. M., Plant products as antimicrobial agents, Clin. Microbiol.Rev., 12(4), 564–582 (1999)
  9. F arnsworth N.R., Akerele O., Bingel A. S., Serjarto D. D., Guo Z.Medicinal plants in therapy, Bull WHO, 63, 965-981(1985)
  10. Kala C. P., Dhyani P. P., Sajwan B. S., Developing the medicinal plants sector in Northern India: challenges and opportunities, J Ethnobiol Ethnomed., 1–15 (2006)
  11. Pei S. J., Ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicine studies: some experiences from Asia, Pharm Biol., 39(1),74–79 (2001)
  12. Meena M., Enhancement of bioactive compound production, antimicrobial activity and evaluation in animal models, J Med Plant Res., 3(7), 495–497 (2009)
  13. Cox P. A., The ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery: strengths and limitations.England: John Wiley & Sons, 25–36 (1994)
  14. Choudhury S., Sharma P., Choudhury M. D., Sharma G. D., Ethnomedicinal plants used by Chorei tribes of Southern Assam, North Eastern India, Asian Pac J Trop Dis., 2(1), 141-147 (2012)
  15. Rao S. K., A handbook of field and herbarium methods, New Delhi: Today and Tomorrow's Printers and Publishers, (1977)
  16. Harborne J. B., Phytochemical methods: a guide to modern technique of plant analysis.Richmond: Chapman and Hall, Springer Publications, (1998)
  17. Temine S., Guler N., Trifolium L.-a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile, Phytother Res., . 23(3), 439–446 (2009)
  18. Jamal M. A. H. M., Rahman S., Islam M. A., Karim M. R., Kalam M. S., Rahman M. Z., Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Analysis of Nerium oleander against Bacterial Pathogens, Asian Pac J Trop Biomed., 1664-1666 (2012)
  19. Kumara K. S., Shreedharamurthy S., Antibacterial activity of seed extracts of Callistemon lanceolatus DC on uropathogenic bacteria, Journal of acute medicine, 4(1), 6–12 (2014)
  20. Khan A. V., Ahmad Q. U., Shukla I., Khan A. A., Antibacterial efficacy of Bacopa monnieri leaf extracts against pathogenic bacteria, Asian Biomed., 4(4), 651–655 (2010)
  21. Khan A. V., Ahmad Q. U., Mir M. R., Shukla I., Khan A. A., Antibacterial efficacy of the seed extracts of Melia azedarach against some hospital isolated pathogenic bacterial strains, Asian Pac J Trop Biomed., 1(6), 452–455 (2011)
  22. Khan A. V., Ahmad Q. U., Shukla I., Khan A. A.,Antibacterial activity of leaves extracts of Trifolium alexandrinum Linn. against pathogenic bacteria causing tropical diseases, Asian Pac J Trop Biomed., 2(3), 189-194 (2012)
  23. Kar A., Borthakur S. K., Dye yielding plants of Assam for dyeing handloom textile products, Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 7(1), 166-171 (2008)
  24. Sharma K. K., Kotoky J., Kalita J. C., Sarma G. C.. Traditional use of medicinal plants for anti-ringworm therapy in some parts of Kamrup District of Assam, a North Eastern State of India, Asian Pac J Trop Dis., 2(1), 316-319 (2012)