Antimicrobial Activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd from Root Extracts – A Medicinal Plant

 

L. S. Patel¹* and R. S. Patel²

¹J.J.T.University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan

²KKSJ Maninagar Science College, Ahmadabad

*Corresponding Author E-mail: lina_patel83@yahoo.com

 

The genus asparagus has been recently moved from the subfamily asparagus in the family Liliaceae to a newly created family Asparagaceae. Asparagus racemosus Willd. (family-Asparagaceae) also known by the name “Shatavari” means "who possesses a hundred husbands or acceptable to many" has been used as a medicine. It is also used successfully for nervous disorders, inflammation, liver diseases and certain infectious diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal investigations were carried out of the crude extracts obtained from the root of Asparagus racemosus Willd. using different solvents like Petroleum ether, Methanol, Chloroform, Acetone, Ethyl acetate and Water against Gram positive bacteria like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative bacteria E coli, Pseudomonas and the yeast Candida utilis. by in vitro agar well diffusion method. The experiment carried out in the selected medicinal plant root. The results are discussed with the available literature.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Medicinal plants are the nature’s gift to human being to make disease free healthy life. It plays a vital role to preserve our health. In our country more than two thousand medicinal plants are recognized. Asparagus racemosus Willd. is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical parts of India (Bopana and Saxena, 2007). Its medicinal usage has been reported in the Indian and British Pharmacopoeias and in traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. A.racemosus has been used in Ayurveda as a galactagogue, aphrodisiac, diuretic, antispasmodic and nervine tonic since time immemorial (Sharma et al., 2000).

 

In India thousands of species are known to have medicinal values and the use of different parts of several medicinal plants to cure specific ailments has been in vogue since ancient times (Parekh et al, 2005). Extract of plants from 157 families have been reported to be active against microorganisms (Ravishankar, 1990).

 

The roots are tuberous, bearing numerous fusiform, Succulent tuberous roots are 30-100 cm long & 1-2 cm thick, finger shaped & clustered and the stem is woody pale grey or brown in colour and armed with strong spines (Mandal et al., 1996; Sharma et al.,2000; Prajapati and Vyas, 2011; Sharma and Bhatnagar,2011). In recent years, a large number of plant products have been investigated for their antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi.

 

The study will also confirm if there is a biological basis to the claim that the ethnomedicinal plant has useful medicinal purposes (Cowan, 1999).

 

The most human died due to infectious bacterial diseases in the worldwide as well as in the developing countries   The bacterial organisms including Gram positive and Gram negative like different species of Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Pseudomonas are the main source to cause severe infections in humans. Because these organisms have the ability to survive in harsh condition due to their multiple environmental habitats.

 

We have collected medicinally important medicinal plant Asparagus racemosus Willd. for antimicrobial studies.

 

MATERIALS AND METHOD:  

Collection of plant:

The roots of Asparagus racemosus Willd. was collected in the month of April 2011 from Patan district, Gujarat, India. Plant roots of Asparagus racemosus Willd. were washed thoroughly with running tap water followed by rinsing with distilled water and shade dried at room temperature then pulverized into powder. Powdered were stored in an air tight container till further use.

 

Authentication of Plant:

The plant material was identified and authenticated by a taxonomist Dr. R.S. Patel, Assistant professor, Biology Department, K.K.Shah Jarodwala Maninagar Science College, Ahmedabad (Gujarat).

 

Preparation of extracts:

The dried powder of sample was successively extracted with Petroleum ether, Acetone, Chloroform, Methanol, Ethyl acetate and Water in soxhlet apparatus. The extract was stored at 4ºC and used for antibacterial activity.

 

Test Organisms:

Gram positive & Gram negative bacteria and fungus were used as test organism for this study. Gram positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Gram negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus like Candida utilis. The organisms were sub cultured on to nutrient agar in order to determine their viability. The identity of each test organism was confirmed by using standard culture, morphological and biochemical techniques. Stock cultures were maintained on nutrient agar slants at 4ºC and then sub-cultured in nutrient broth at 37ºC prior to each antimicrobial test.

 

Antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion assay:

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the well diffusion method to detect the presence of anti bacterial and anti-fungal activities of the plant samples (Perez et al., 1990). Nutrient Agar (Hi-media) for bacteria and Sabouraud’s Agar (Hi-media) for fungus were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The antibacterial activity of root extracts was determined by agar well diffusion method. Nutrient agar slants after solidification was inoculated with the test microorganisms, by spreading the bacterial inoculums under aseptic conditions. Wells of 5mm diameter were punched in the agar medium with sterile cork borer and filled with plant extract. The antibiotics were used in the test system as positive controls. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 hrs. The negative control was added without adding the cultures to know the sterile conditions. The antibacterial activity was assessed by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition for the respective plant extract and antibiotic.

 

 

Table –1 Antimicrobial activity of Asparagus racemosus root

Zone of Inhibition (mm)
Extract	Concentration (μg/ml)	Bacillus subtilis	Staphylococcus aureus	Escherichia coli	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Candida utilis
Methanol	25	18	15	16	14	6
	50	20	18	18	17	9
	100	22	20	19	20	10
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Chloroform	25	14	12	12	10	-
	50	16	16	15	16	-
	100	18	17	19	18	-
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Water	25	8	10	8	5	6
	50	9	11	9	8	7
	100	11	13	10	10	9
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Ethyl Acetate	25	10	6	9	7	-
	50	11	8	10	8	-
	100	13	10	13	10	-
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Petroleum ether	25	10	7	11	6	-
	50	11	8	12	7	-
	100	12	10	13	9	-
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Acetone	25	7	8	10	9	6
	50	8	9	11	10	8
	100	9	10	12	11	9
	control	0	0	0	0	0
Standard Antibiotic		20	22	24	25	20

 Value is mean of three replicates.

 Standard Antibiotic Streptomycin 5 μg/ml for Bacterial Strain.

 Standard Antibiotic Fluconazole 5 μg/ml for Fungi

.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Plant based antimicrobial compounds have enormous therapeutically potential as they can serve the purpose without any side effects. Shatavari roots were subjected to a preliminary screening for antimicrobial activity against the gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The reason behind this could be the presence of different active molecules in different parts of the plant. The preliminary tests for the methanol extract showed maximum antimicrobial activity.

 

The antibacterial activity of different extract like Petroleum ether, Methanol, Chloroform, Acetone,  Ethyl acetate and Water of root extract of Asparagus racemosus plant with different concentration 100µg/ml, 50µg/ml, 25µg/ml was very well comparable with standard reference drug streptomycin 5µg/ml for antibacterial activity. The extracts were also tested for antifungal activity and are active against candida utilis is comparable to that of standard drug fluconozole 5µg/ml.

 

In the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal investigations were carried out of the crude extracts obtained from the root of Asparagus racemosus Willd. using different solvents like Petroleum ether, Methanol, Chloroform, Acetone, Ethyl acetate and Water were subjected to antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus,, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and candida utilis. The results are showed in Table1. In this study, different extract of Asparagus racemosus roots have potent antimicrobial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria were affected by the root extract of A.racemosus indicating the presence of broad spectrum antibacterial substance in the plant.

 

The presence of antifungal and antimicrobial substances in the higher plants is well established as they have provided a source of inspiration for novel drug compound as plant derived medicines have made significant contribution towards human the treatment of diseases as is done in cases of  Unani and Ayurvedic system of medicines.

 

CONCLUSION:

It is revealed that herbal drugs are relatively safe and exhibit a remarkable efficacy in the treatment. Medicinal plants are considered as clinically effective and safer alternatives to the synthetic antibiotics. The therapeutic properties of the medicinal plants are due to the presence of active principles, which has to be extracted and screened for medicinal properties. Extensive research in the area of isolation and characterization of the active principles of these plants are required so that better, safer and cost effective drugs for treating bacterial infections can be developed.

 

In present study, methanolic extract roots of Asparagus racemosus Willd. significant inhibitory action against all the selected bacteria and fungi, it is concluded that Methanolic extract of the Asparagus racemosus Willd., can be effectively used for curing the Bacteria and fungi diseases. Hence in the present study show the methanolic extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus Willd. Possess should be screened further for active constituents.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I sincerely thanks to my Guide Dr. R.S. Patel, Assistant professor, Biology Department, K.K.Shah Jarodwala Maninagar Science College, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) for taxonomic identification of the plant and their support for providing necessary facilities.

 

REFERENCES:

·          Bopana N and Saxena S. Asparagus racemosus-Ethnopharmacological evaluation and conservation needs. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2007; 110: 1–15.

·          Perez C, Pauli M and Bazerque P.  An antibiotic assay by agar well diffusion method. Acta Biological and Medicinal Experiment.1990 15: 113-115.

·          Parekh J, Darshana J and Sumitra C. Efficacy of aqueous and methanol extracts of some medicinal plants for potential antibacterial activity. Journal of Biology. 2005; 29: 203-210.

·          Sharma PC, Yelne MB, Dennis TJ. Database on Medicinal Plants Used in Ayurveda, Volume I. Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha. Yugantar Prakashan (P.) Ltd., New Delhi, 2000:418–430.

·          Mandal SC, Nandy A, Pal M, Saha BP. Evaluation of antibacterial activity of Asparagus racemosus willd. root. Phytoether Research. 2000; 14(2):118-9.

·          Cowan MM. Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clinical and Microbiology Review.1999; 12:564-582.

·          Prajapati MR. and Vyas PJ. Effect of mixing antibiotics with Asparagus racemosus and their anti-bacterial activity. Life sciences Leaflets.2011; 13:443-448.

·          Sharma K and Bhatnagar M. Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari): A Versatile Female Tonic. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and biological Achieve. 2011, 2(3):855-863.

·          Ravishankar T. Ethanobotanical studies in Adilabad and Karimnagar Disrict of Andrapradesh, India. Ph.D. Thesis, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu.1990.

 

 

 

Accepted on 28.08.2013         © RJPT All right reserved