Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL COMPOUNDS FROM THE CHLOROFORM EXTRACT OF THE MEDICINAL PLANT CYATHEA NILGIRENSIS HOLTTUM

*G. Pradheesh, J. Suresh, S. Suresh, V. Alex Ramani and S. I. Hong

ABSTRACT

To identify and explore various phytochemical constituents from the chloroform extract of Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum using spot tests and GC-MS analysis. To evaluate the percentage of inhibition for the chloroform extract with some selective bacterial species (gram positive and gram negative) and with fungal species. Dried powdered sample of Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum were soaked in chloroform. The filtrate obtained was used for preliminary phytochemical screening of secondary metabolites and further the dried plant powder was subjected to extraction with chloroform for 8 hour using Soxhlet apparatus. The leaf extract so obtained was concentrated by distillation. Then the crude extract was taken for GC-MS and antimicrobial studies. The chloroform extract of Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum consists of the metabolites like tannin, saponnin, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, triterpenoids, anthroquinone, polyphenol, glycoside, coumarin, carbohydrate and protein. The GC-MS analysis has shown the presence of 29 compounds in the chloroform extract, of which 6 compounds namely 1,5-Dimethyl -6- (1,5-dimethylhexyl)-15,16- epoxy 18 oxatetra cyclo [9.6.1.0(2,10).0(5,9)] octdecane -13-one, sitosterol, 7,9-Di-tert-butyl-1-oxaspiro (4,5) deca- 6,9–diene- 2,8-dione, 1-(2'-Benzothiazolyl)ethenyl-5-phenyl-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxabenzo[3,4-b][15-crown-5], tetracosane and Copper(II) meso-(2-Formylvinyl) octaethyl porphyrin are observed to be in major proportion. The chloroform extract of Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum inhibits the growth of S. aureus, B.subtilis M.luteus and E.coli but it does not inhibit S. paratyphi and K. pneumonia. The fugal species C. albicans and A.niger does not show any zone of inhibition. This study helps to predict the formula and structure of active molecules which can be used as drugs. This result also enhances the traditional usage of C. nilgirensis Holttum which possesses a number of bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum, chloroform Extract, Preliminary screening, GC-MS Analysis & Antimicrobial Activity.