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Short report

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Cleome viscosa and Gmelina asiatica

M. Sudhakar a,*, Ch.V. Rao b, P.M. Rao c, D.B. Raju a
a

Shri Vishnu College of Pharmacy, Vishnupur, Bhimavaram , 534 202 A.P., India b National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, 226 001 U.P., India c Gondar College of Medical Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia Received 30 December 2003; accepted 25 August 2005 Available online 1 December 2005

Abstract The ethanolic extracts of the leaves and flowers of Cleome viscosa and roots of Gmelina asiatica were tested for antimicrobial activity. The two plants exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, particularly significative against Escherichia coli , Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The leaf extract of C. viscosa showed moderate activity against pathogenic fungi. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Cleome viscosa; Gmelina asiatica; Antimicrobial activity

1. Plants C. viscosas (Capparidaceae), leaves and flowers and G. asiaticas (Verbenaceae) roots were collected in August 2002 from the Medicinal Plant Garden of Padmabhushan Dr. B.V.Raju Foundation, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India. The taxonomical identification of the plants was done by the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The voucher specimens (SVCP-PL 104 and 105) were preserved in the Herbarium of Department of Pharmacognosy, Shri Vishnu College of Pharmacy, Bhimavaram.
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: muvvala1963@yahoo.co.in (M. Sudhakar). 0367-326X/$ - see front matter D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2005.08.003

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2. Uses in traditional medicine C. viscosa aqueous extract is used as analgesic and antipyretic, as hypoglycaemic treatment in Israel [1]. G. asiatica (Sanskrit: Gopabhadra) root powder was effective in reducing the oedema due to its antiinflammatory, antiproliferative, antioxidative and lysosomal membrane stabilising effects [2]. Moreover, it is used to treat gonorrhoea, catarrh of the bladder and rheumatism, as blood purifier [3] and as antimalarial.

3. Previously isolated constituents C. viscosa: cleomiscosin D, a coumarino-lignan [4], glucosinolates [5], cleomeolide [6], stigmasta-5, 24(28)-diene-3-O-rhamnoside [7], kaempeferide-3-glucuronide [8], naringenin glycoside [9]; G. asiatica: nitidine [10].

4. Tested material Ethanolic extracts [11] (yields: 12%, 8% and 15%) for C. viscosa and G. asiatica, respectively.

5. Studied activity Antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion method [12] and MICs by tube dilution method [13].
Table 1 Antimicrobial activity of C. viscosa and G. asiatica ethanolic extractsa Bacteria Inhibition zone(mm)b Cv (leaf) E.coli-enteropathogen P. vulgaris P. aeruginosa B. subtilis B. pumilus S. aureus Streptococcus faecalis Candida albicans Aspergillus niger R. oligosporus 34 26 22 23 18 22 25 14 16 32 Cv (flower) 25 15 16 12 14 14 15 10 12 22 Ga (root) 43 32 25 22 21 20 18 ... ... ... Ampicillin (40 Ag/ml) 17 22 16 21 22 23 24 ... ... ... Nystatin (50 IU/ml) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 21 24 MIC (mg/ml)c Cv (leaf) 0.100 0.175 0.200 0.250 0.300 0.150 0.175 0.300 0.250 0.125 Cv (flower) 0.200 0.500 0.400 0.700 0.550 0.500 0.600 0.900 0.750 0.300 Ga (root) 0.075 0.125 0.200 0.250 0.250 0.325 0.450 ND ND ND

Cv: C. viscosa; Ga: G. asiatica. a 40 Al of solution (25 mg/l) was applied to each well. b Values are the mean of 10 replicates. c Values are the mean of 6 replicates using 1 103 cells of each culture.

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6. Used microorganisms Listed in Table 1 and obtained from National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Pune, India.

7. Results Listed in Table 1.

8. Conclusions All the extracts exhibited an antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. vulgaris and P. aeruginosa and a moderate activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Only leaf extract of C. viscosa exhibited significant antifungal activity against Rhizopus oligosporus.

Acknowledgements The authors thank the management of Shri Vishnu college of Pharmacy for providing facilities for the completion of project work.

References
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