Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of leaf extracts of Eryngium Foetidum L. (Apiaceae)

Eryngium foetidum L., belonging to Apiaceae is a biannual herb. It is used as an ethno-medicinal plant for the treatment of various ailments. The leaf decoction is used against gastrointestinal disorders and leaf paste as wound healing agent by the ethnic communities in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. Hence a study was designed to examine the antibacterial and antifungal activity of leaves of E. foetidum. The Soxhlet extraction was performed by using organic solvents like petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol. Each extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical tests. The results of phytochemical screening revealed the presence of some active principles like glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and tannins. The antimicrobial activity of isolated extracts was performed with microorganisms like two Gram positive bacteria - Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, two Gram negative bacteria - Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a fungus Candida albicans by agar well diffusion method. The result of the antimicrobial activity revealed that the ethylacetate extract of E. foetidum showed the strongest antimicrobial activity among the five extracts against the four bacterial strains and C. albicans. This is also revealed that inhibition of ethylacetate extract against P.aeruginosa (28mm ) and C. albicans (18mm) was comparatively higher to that of the standard Gentamycin (18mm) and Nystatin (14mm) respectively. The result of present study supports traditional usage of E. foetidum and also suggests that ethyl acetate leaf extract possesses compounds with antimicrobial property that can be used as antimicrobial agents in new drug for the therapy of infectious diseases caused by pathogens.