International journal of pharmaceutical science and health care
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijphc/index.html
Issue 1, Vol 2 October 2011
ISSN 2249 – 5738
PHARMACOLOGICAL SCREENING OF Datura metel AND Acalypha indica FOR
ITS ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AGAINST PATHOGENIC FUNGI
S.Siva Sakthi and M.Geetha.
Department of Microbiology,
Annamalai University,
Annamalai Nagar,
Chidambaram-608 002.
P.Saranraj *
Research Scholar
Department of Microbiology
Annamalai University
Annamalainagar-608 002
Tamil Nadu, India.
Tel no: 9994146964
E-mail: microsaranraj@gmail.com
Abstract
A large portion of the world population, especially developing countries depends on the
traditional system of medicine for a variety of diseases. Several hundreds of plant genera are
used medicinally and plants are vital sources for potent and powerful drugs. The present study
was conducted to screen the pharmacological activity of the ethanol and ethyl acetate extract of
Datura metel and Acalypha indica for its antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi. Six
different fungal isolates viz., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus fumigatus,
Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum were tested for its antifungal
activity. The collected leaf samples were powdered and the bioactive compounds were extracted
by using ethanol and ethyl acetate in a Soxhelet extractor. The antifungal activity was
determined by using Well diffusion method. Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts with different
concentrations (100mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 300mg/ml) were mixed with 1 ml of Dimethyl
sulfoxide (DMSO) and added into the well. The inhibitory effect of ethanol extract was relatively
high when compared to ethyl acetate extract. The extract of Datura metel showed maximum
zone of inhibition against fungal pathogens when compared to Acalypha indica. Phytochemical
analysis showed that the antifungal activity of Datura metel and Acalypha indica was due to the
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presence of phytochemical compounds like alkaloids, tripenoid, steroids, flavonoid, triterpenes,
phenolic compounds and tannins. This study also encourages cultivation of the highly valuable
plant in large scale to increase the economic status of the cultivators and provide a support to use
of the plant in traditional medicine.
Keywords: Antifungal activity, Ethanol extract, Ethyl acetate extract, Zone of inhibition,
Datura metel, Acalypha indica, Fungi and Phytochemical analysis.
*
Corresponding author:
1. INTRODUCTION
Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive
number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources, many based on their use in
traditional medicine. Various medicinal plants have been used for years in daily life to treat
disease all over the world. They have been used as a source of medicine. The widespread use of
herbal remedies and healthcare preparations, such as those described in ancient texts like the
Vedas and the Bible, has been traced to the occurrence of natural products with medicinal
properties. In fact, plants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules, making them a rich
source of different types of medicines. Higher plants, as sources of medicinal compounds, have
continued to play a dominant role in the maintenance of human health since ancient times
(Farombi, 2003). Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs are of natural product origin and natural
products play an important role in drug development programs in the pharmaceutical industry
(Baker et al., 1995).
Medicinal plants are a source of great economic value all over the world. Nature has been
showed on us a very rich botanical wealth and a large number of diverse types of plants grow in
different parts of the country. India is rich in all the 3 levels of biodiversity, namely species
diversity, genetic diversity and habitat diversity. In India, thousands of species are known to
have medicinal value and the use of different parts of several medicinal plants to cure specific
ailments has been in vogue since ancient times. Herbal medicine is still the main stay of about
75-80% of the whole population, and the major part of traditional therapy involves the use of
plant extract and their active constituents (Akerele, 1993). Following the advent of modern
medicine, herbal medicine suffered a setback, but during last two or three decades advances in
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phytochemistry and in identification of plant compounds effective against certain diseases have
renewed the interest in herbal medicines (FAO, 1990).
India has a rich heritage of knowledge on plant based drugs both for use in preventive
and curative medicine. A country like India is very much suited for development of drugs from
medicinal plant. Because of its vase and wide variations in soil and climate, the Indian sub –
continent is suitable for cultivation of large number of medicinal and aromatic plant which can
be used as raw materials for pharmaceutical, perfumery, cosmetics, flavour and food and
agrochemical industries. A large number of these plants grow wild and exploited especially for
use in indigenous pharmaceutical houses. Some of these plants produce valuable drugs which
have high export potential. (Rathish et al., 2005).
Developing a medicinal plants sector, across the various states of India has become an
important issue. Different stakeholders in the medicinal plants sector have projected Tamil Nadu,
one of the southern states, as an “Herbal State”. This nation has made medicinal plants as a
commodity of high value across the state. At the same time, realizing the continuous depletion of
this valuable resource, attempts are being made for its large-scale cultivation and multiplication
in order to meet its escalating demand as well as long-term sustainability. There are many
aspects of research associated with the medicinal plants sector. The significant contribution to
the society, traditional medicine has experienced very little attention in modern research and
development and less effort has been done to upgrade the practice (Giday et al., 2003).
The use of plants and plant products as medicines could be traced as far back as the
beginning of human civilization. The earliest mention of medicinal use of plants in Hindu culture
is founds in “Rig Veda”, which is said to have been written between 4500-1600 B.C. and is
supposed to be the oldest repository of human knowledge. It is Ayurveda, the foundation of
medicinal science of Hindu culture, in its eight division deals with specific properties of drugs
and various aspects of science of life and the art of healing (Rastogi and Mehrotra, 2002).
Nowadays, there has been a revival of interest in herbal medicines. This is due to increased
awareness of the limited ability of synthetic pharmaceutical products to control major diseases
and the need to discover new molecular structures as lead compounds from the plant kingdom.
Plants are the basic source of knowledge of modern medicine. The basic molecular and active
structures for synthetic fields are provided by rich natural sources. This burgeoning worldwide
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interest in medicinal plants reflects recognition of the validity of many traditional claims
regarding the value of natural products in health care.
Datura metel Linn (Thorn-apple, Devil trumpet, Solanaceae) is a medicinal plant widely
used in phytomedicine to cure diseases such as asthma, cough, convulsion and insanity. The
leaves and seeds are widely used in herbal medicine as anesthetic, antispasmodic, anti-tussive,
bronchodilator and as hallucinogenic. The whole plant particularly the leaves and seeds are used
as anesthetic, anodyne, anti-asthmatic, antispasmodic, anti-tussive, bronchodilator, and
hallucinogenic. The plant finds application in the treatment of catarrh, diarrhea and skin diseases.
It is used in the treatment of catarrh, diarrhea, epilepsy, insanity, hysteria, rheumatic pains,
hemorrhoids, painful menstruation, skin ulcers and wounds. It is also used in the treatment of
burns. It is used to calm cough and to treat laryngitis and treachitis (Dabur et al., 2004).
Acalypha indica is an annual erect herb commonly called as “Kuppai meni”. It belongs to the
family Euphorbiaceae. It is a common shrub in Indian gardens, backyards of houses and waste
places through the plains of India. The root, stem and leaf of Acalypha indica possess herbal
activity.
Antimicrobials of plant origin have enormous therapeutic potential. They are effective in
the treatment of infectious diseases while simultaneously mitigating many of the side effects that
are often associated with synthetic antimicrobials. The beneficial medicinal effects of plant
materials typically result from the combinations of secondary products present in the plant. The
present study is focussed on the pharmacological screening of Datura metel and Acalypha indica
for its antifungal activity against fungal pathogens.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Collection and Drying of plant materials
Mature leaves of Acalypha indica and Datura metel were collected from the Herbal
garden, Department of Microbiology, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. The
leaves of Acalypha indica were washed thoroughly three times with water and once with distilled
water. The plant materials were air dried and powdered. The powdered samples were
hermetically sealed in separate polythene bags until the time of extraction.
2.2 Preparation of plant extract
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40 g of powdered leaves Acalypha indica and Datura metel were extracted successively
with 200 ml of ethanol at 56-60C and ethyl acetate at 40-50C in Soxhelet extractor until the
extract was clear. The extracts were evaporated to dryness and the resulting pasty form extracts
were stored in a refrigerator at 4C for future use (Chessbrough, 2000).
2.3 Test microorganisms
Six pathogenic fungi, viz., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus fumigatus,
Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum were collected from obtained
from Rajah Mutthaiya Medical College Hospital, Chidambaram. The cultures were sub-cultured
and maintained on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar slants and stored in refrigerator at 4C.
2.4. Determination of antifungal activity
2.4.2. Inoculum preparation
Fungal inoculum was prepared by inoculating a loopful of test organisms in 5 ml of
Sabouraud’s dextrose and incubated at room temperature for 3 days.
2.4.3. Determination of antifungal activity by Agar well Diffusion Method
Muller Hinton agar plates were inoculated with test organisms by spreading the fungal
inoculum on the surface of the media. Wells (8 mm in diameter) were punched in the agar.
Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts with different concentrations (100mg/ml, 200mg/ml and
300 mg/ml) were mixed with 1 ml of Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and added into the well. Well
containing DMSO alone act as a negative control. The plates were incubated at room
temperature for 3 days. The antifungal activity was assessed by measuring the diameter of the
zone of inhibition (in mm).
2.5. Phytochemical analysis
Phytochemical tests were done to find the presence of the active chemical constituents
such as alkaloid, glycosides, terpenoids and steroids, flavonoids, reducing sugars, triterpenes,
phenolic compounds and tannins by the following procedure.
2.5.1 Test for Alkaloids (Meyer’s Test)
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The extract of Acalypha indica was evaporated to dryness and the residue was heated on
a boiling water bath with 2% Hydrochloric acid. After cooling, the mixture was filtered and
treated with a few drops of Meyer’s reagent (Siddiq and Ali, 1997). The samples were then
observed for the presence of turbidity or yellow precipitation (Evans, 2002).
2.5.2 Test for Glycoside
To the solution of the extract in Glacial acetic acid, few drops of Ferric chloride and
Concentrated sulphuric acid are added, and observed for reddish brown colouration at the
junction of two layers and the bluish green colour in the upper layer (Siddiq and Ali, 1997).
2.5.3 Test for Tripenoid and Steroid
4 mg of extract was treated with 0.5 ml of acetic anhydride and 0.5 ml of chloroform.
Then concentrated solution of sulphuric acid was added slowly and red violet colour was
observed for terpenoid and green bluish colour for steroids (Siddiq and Ali, 1997).
2.5.4 Test for Flavonoid
4 mg of extract solution was treated with 1.5 ml of 50% methanol solution. The solution
was warmed and metal magnesium was added. To this solution, 5-6 drops of concentrated
hydrochloric acid was added and red colour was observed for flavonoids and orange colour for
flavones (Siddiq and Ali, 1997).
2.5.5 Test for Reducing sugars
To 0.5 ml of extract solution, 1 ml of water and 5-8 drops of Fehling’s solution was
added at hot and observed for brick red precipitate.
2.5.6 Test for Triterpenes
300 mg of extract was mixed with 5 ml of chloroform and warmed at 80C for 30
minutes. Few drops of concentrated sulphuric acid was added and mixed well and observed for
red colour formation.
2.5.7 Test for Phenolic Compounds (Ferric chloride test)
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300 mg of extract was diluted in 5 ml of distilled water and filtered. To the filtrate, 5%
Ferric chloride was added and observed for dark green colour formation.
2.5.8 Test for Tannins
To 0.5 ml of extract solution, 1 ml of water and 1-2 drops of ferric chloride solution wad
added. Blue colour was observed for gallic tannins and green black for catecholic tannins
(Iyengar, 1995).
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The beneficial medicinal effects of plant materials typically result from the secondary
products present in the plant although, it is usually not attributed to a single compound but a
combination of the metabolites. The medicinal actions of plants are unique to a particular plant
species or group, consistent with the concept that the combination of secondary products in a
particular plant is taxonomically distinct (Parekh et al., 2005). The screening of plants usually
involves several approach; ethno botanical approach is one of the common methods that are
employed in choosing the plant for pharmacological study.
In the modern world multiple drug resistance has developed against many microbial
infections due to the indiscriminate use of commercial antimicrobial drugs commonly used in the
treatment of infectious disease. In addition to this problem, antibiotics are sometimes associated
with adverse effects on the host including hypersensitivity, immune-suppression and allergic
reactions. This situation forced scientists to search for new antimicrobial substances. Given the
alarming incidence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria of medical importance, there is a constant
need for new and effective therapeutic agents. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative
antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases from medicinal plants (Agarwal et
al., 1996).
The antifungal activity of the ethanol and ethyl acetate extract of Datura metel was
investigated and the results were showed in Table-1 and Table-2. The ethanol extract of Datura
metel (300mg/ml) recorded maximum zone of inhibition against Candida glabrata (25mm),
followed by Aspergillus flavus (24mm), Aspergillus niger (22mm), Aspergillus fumigatus
(21mm), Penicillium chrysogenum (16mm) and Candida albicans (15mm). For ethyl acetate
extract, maximum zone of inhibition was seen against Candida glabrata (23mm) followed by
Candida albicans (16mm), Aspergillus niger (12mm), Aspergillus fumigatus (11mm) and
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Penicillium chrysogenum (6mm). No zone of inhibition was recorded against Aspergillus flavus
and DMSO control. The ethanol extract of Datura metel showed more fungal inhibitory activity
when compared to ethyl acetate extract.
Kawther Abeb, (2007) evaluated the antibacterial activity of dill and fennel against
Mycobacterium sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The results showed that the volatile oils extracted by steam
distillation method from roots, stem and leaves of dill and fennel plants did not show
antibacterial or anticandidal activities. Seed extracts from both dill and fennel exhibited varying
degrees of growth inhibition of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida glabrata.
Extracts of dill and fennel seeds prepared by simple solvent extraction method, using acetone,
petroleum ether, methanol and chloroform, did not show any antimicrobial activity against
common bacterial or fungal pathogens. Growth of some Mycobacterium sp. was inhibited by the
seed extracts of both fennel and dill. Their results suggested that the anticandidal and
antimycobacterial properties of these two herbs may be further investigated to explore the
possibility of using them in the treatment of candidal or mycobacterial infections.
Sundaram Ravikumar et al., (2010) screened the in vitro antibacterial and antifungal
activity of the chloroform extracts of the seventeen different coastal medicinal plants against
different gram positive and gram negative and fungal ornamental fish pathogens. Of the selected
plants Datura metel showed wide range of antimicrobial activity against many of the fish
pathogens. He concluded that the Datura metel has been used as a putative antimicrobial drug in
the aquaculture maintenance.
Siva Sakthi et al., (2011) evaluated the antibacterial potentiality of ethanol and ethyl
acetate solvent extracts of mature leaves of Datura metel against nine pathogenic bacteria
isolates viz., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli,
Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa. The ethanol extract of Datura metel (100 mg/ml) showed maximum zone of
inhibition (26 mm) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.
Staphylococcus aureus showed less zone of inhibition (8 mm). The ethyl acetate extract of
Datura metel (100 mg/ml) showed maximum zone of inhibition (19 mm) against Escherichia
coli. There was no zone of inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The findings of the
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present study coincide with the results of Siva Sakthi et al., (2011). In this study, ethanol was
best solution for extracting the effective antifungal substances from the medicinal plant Datura
metel than ethyl acetate. This could be related to the presence of bioactive metabolites present in
Datura metel which are not soluble in ethyl acetate but they can be soluble in ethanol.
The antifungal activity of the ethanol and ethyl acetate extract of Acalypha indica was
evaluated and the results were showed in Table-3 and Table-4. The ethanol extract of Acalypha
indica (300mg/ml) recorded maximum zone of inhibition against Aspergillus flavus (28mm)
followed by Candida albicans (18mm), Aspergillus fumigatus (16mm), Penicillium
chrysogenum (14mm) and Candida glabrata (11mm). No zone of inhibition was recorded
against Aspergillus niger. For ethyl acetate extract, maximum zone of inhibition was recorded
against Aspergillus flavus (18mm), Aspergillus fumigatus (15mm), Candida albicans (13mm)
and Penicillium chrysogenum (10mm). No zone of inhibition was seen against Candida glabrata,
Aspergillus niger and DMSO control. The ethanol extract of Acalypha indica showed more
fungal inhibitory activity when compared to ethyl acetate extract.
Ali Rehman et al., (2002) tested the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Acalypha indica
against Microsporum canis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and
Staphylococcus aureus by disc diffusion method. There was no zone of inhibition of Acalypha
indica towards Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans. Anand et al., (2007) tested the
medicinal plant extracts of Curcuma longa, Acalypha indica, and Anona sqamosa by Cold
percolation method against Dermatophytic isolates. Curcuma lounga showed antifungal effect
against Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum gypseum. These two organisms were found to be
resistant towards Acalypha indica and Anona sqamosa. The other dermatophytes were resistant
to all medicinal plants tested.
Satish et al., (2007) tested the aqueous extract of 52 plants from different families for
their antifungal potential against eight important species of Aspergillus such as Aspergillus
candidus, Aspergillus columnaris, Aspergillus flavipes, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus
fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Aspergillus tamarii. Among fifty-two
plants tested, aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica, Achras zapota, Datura stramonium, Emblica
officinalis, Eucalyptus globules, Lawsonia inermis, Mimusops elengi, Peltophorum pterocarpum,
Polyalthia longifolia, Prosopis juliflora, Punica granatum and Sygigium cumini have recorded
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significant antifungal activity against one or the other Aspergillus species tested. Aspergillus
flavus recorded high susceptibility and hence solvent extracts viz., petroleum ether, benzene,
chloroform, methanol and ethanol extracts of all the twelve plants were tested for their antifungal
activity. Among the solvent extracts tested, methanol gave more effective than ethanol,
chloroform, benzene and petroleum ether.
Saranraj et al., (2010) recently investigated the antibacterial potentiality of ethanol and
ethyl acetate extract of Acalypha indica leaves against human pathogenic bacteria and concluded
that and concluded that the ethanol extract showed more inhibitory activity against human
pathogenic bacteria when compared to ethyl acetate extract. The findings of the present study
coincide with the results of Saranraj et al., (2010). The findings of the present study showed that
the ethanol was best solution for extracting the effective antifungal substances from the
medicinal plant Acalypha indica than ethyl acetate. This could be related to the presence of
bioactive metabolites present in Acalypha indica which are not soluble in ethyl acetate but they
can be soluble in ethanol.
John De Britto and Herin Sheeba Gracelin, (2011) investigated the phytochemicals
present in leaves, stem, flowers and fruits of Datura metel which have some medicinal
applications. Phytochemical analysis gave positive results for steroids, triterpinoids, reducing
sugars, sugars, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins. The stem and fruits
extracts did not show marked antibacterial activity. The phytochemical compounds of Datura
metel and Acalypha indica extract were analyzed in the present study and the results were
showed in Table-5 and Table-6. The phytochemical analysis of Datura metel showed the
presence of alkaloids, tripenoid, steroids, flavonoid, triterpenes, phenolic compounds and
tannins. The presence of alkaloids and tannins was seen in Acalypha indica. The Antifungal
activity of Datura metel and Acalypha indica was due to the presence of phytochemical
compounds. The extract of Datura metel showed maximum zone of inhibition against fungal
pathogenic pathogens when compared to Acalypha indica.
The findings of the present investigation suggests that the organic solvent extraction was
suitable to verify the antimicrobial properties of medicinal plants and they supported by many
investigation. The present study justifies the claimed uses of leaves in the traditional system of
medicine to treat various infectious diseases caused by the microbes. This study also encourages
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cultivation of the highly valuable plant in large scale to increase the economic status of the
cultivators in the country. The obtained results may provide a support to use of the plant in
traditional medicine. Based on this further chemical and pharmacological investigations can be
done to isolate and identify minor chemical constituents in the seeds and to screen other potential
bioactivities may be recommended.
Table-1: Antifungal activity of ethanol extract of Datura metel.
S.No
Fungi
Concentration of the extract (mg/ml) and
zone of inhibition (mm)
DMSO
100
mg/ml
200
mg/ml
300
mg/ml
1
Candida albicans
No zone
11mm
13mm
15mm
2
Candida glabrata
No zone
17mm
21mm
25mm
3
Aspergillus fumigatus
No zone
10mm
15mm
21mm
4
Aspergillus flavus
No zone
14mm
18mm
24mm
5
Aspergillus niger
No zone
13mm
17mm
22mm
6
Penicillium chrysogenum
No zone
13mm
15mm
16mm
Table-2: Antifungal activity of ethyl acetate extract of Datura metel.
S.No
Fungi
Concentration of the extract (mg/ml) and
zone of inhibition (mm)
DMSO
100
mg/ml
200
mg/ml
300
mg/ml
1
Candida albicans
No zone
7mm
10mm
16mm
2
Candida glabrata
No zone
13mm
17mm
23mm
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3
Aspergillus fumigatus
No zone
8mm
10mm
11mm
4
Aspergillus flavus
No zone
No zone
No zone
No zone
5
Aspergillus niger
No zone
8mm
10mm
12mm
6
Penicillium chrysogenum
No zone
No Zone
8mm
10mm
Table-3: Antifungal activity of ethanol extract of Acalypha indica
S.No
Fungi
Concentration of the extract (mg/ml) and
zone of inhibition (mm)
DMSO
100
mg/ml
200
mg/ml
300
mg/ml
1
Candida albicans
No zone
15mm
17mm
18mm
2
Candida glabrata
No zone
8 mm
9 mm
11mm
3
Aspergillus fumigatus
No zone
11mm
13mm
16mm
4
Aspergillus flavus
No zone
18mm
22mm
28mm
5
Aspergillus niger
No zone
No zone
No zone
No zone
6
Penicillium chrysogenum
No zone
9mm
10mm
14mm
Table-4: Antifungal activity of ethyl acetate extract of Acalypha indica
S.No
Fungi
Concentration of the extract (mg/ml) and
zone of inhibition (mm)
DMSO
100
mg/ml
200
mg/ml
300
mg/ml
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1
Candida albicans
No zone
10 mm
12 mm
13 mm
2
Candida glabrata
No zone
No zone
No zone
No zone
3
Aspergillus fumigatus
No zone
9 mm
12 mm
15 mm
4
Aspergillus flavus
No zone
13 mm
15 mm
18 mm
5
Aspergillus niger
No zone
No zone
No zone
No zone
6
Penicillium chrysogenum
No zone
No zone
No zone
10mm
Table-5: Phytochemical analysis of Datura metel extracts
S. No.
Test
Result
1
Alkaloids
+
2
Glycosides
-
3
Tripenoid and steroid
+
4
Flavonoid
+
5
Reducing sugars
-
6
Triterpenes
+
7
Phenolic compounds
+
8
Tannins
+
Table-6: Phytochemical analysis of Acalypha indica
S. No.
Test
Result
1
Alkaloids
+
2
Glycosides
-
3
Tripenoid and steroid
-
4
Flavonoid
-
5
Reducing sugars
-
6
Triterpenes
-
7
Phenolic compounds
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8
Tannins
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+
4. CONCLUSION
The present research concluded that the organic solvent extraction was suitable to verify
the antimicrobial properties of medicinal plants and they supported by many investigation. The
investigation on antifungal activity of herbal plant extracts of Datura metel and Acalypha indica
showed that the ethanol extract shows promising antifungal activity against fungal pathogens
when compared to ethyl acetate extract. Phytochemical analysis showed that the antibacterial
activity of Datura metel and Acalypha indica was due to the presence of phytochemical
compounds like alkaloids, tripenoid, steroids, flavonoid, triterpenes, phenolic compounds and
tannins. The extract of Datura metel showed maximum zone of inhibition against fungal
pathogens when compared to Acalypha indica. The results also indicated that scientific studies
carried out on medicinal plants having traditional claims of effectiveness might warrant fruitful
results. These plants could serve as useful source of new antimicrobial agents. The present study
justifies the claimed uses of leaves in the traditional system of medicine to treat various
infectious diseases caused by the microbes. This study also encourages cultivation of the highly
valuable plant in large scale to increase the economic status of the cultivators in the country. The
obtained results may provide a support to use of the plant in traditional medicine.
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Herbal Gram. 22:13-28.
3) Ali Rehman, Latif and Adam. 2002. Antimicrobial activity of leaf extract of Acalypha
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