ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FLOWERS OF IXORA PAVETTA ANDR

Inter. J. of Phytotherapy / Vol 3 / Issue 1 / 2013 / 15-17.

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e - ISSN - 2249-7722

Print ISSN - 2249-7730

International Journal of Phytotherapy

www.phytotherapyjournal.com

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FLOWERS OF

IXORA PAVETTA ANDR

K. Srinivas1 and R.V. Celestin Baboo*

2

1Department of Pharmacognosy, Sri Vasavi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences,

Pedatadepalli, Tadepalligudem, West Godawari, Andhra Pradesh, India.

*2Department of Pharmacognosy, A.M.Reddy Memorial College of Pharmacy,

Narasaraopet, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.

INTRODUCTION

Ixora pavetta Andr. is a small tree or evergreen

shrub, belonging to the family Rubiaceae. It is commonly

found in deciduous slopes and hills of 300-900 meters in

India, Srilanka and Bangladesh. Flowering and fruiting

takes place throughout the year [1]. The flowers are

white, pleasant, agreeable and aromatic odour bitter in

taste. The petals occupy 2-3 cm in diameter, calyx

truncate; 4 toothed. Corolla tubular; lobes 4, obtuse,

stamens 4; anthers basally tailed. The bark is curved grey

brown to dark brown in colour, having no odour, slightly

bitter in taste; about 8cm long, 4.5cm wide and 1-2mm

thickness. The leaves are simple, oblong, elliptic,

oblanceolate, obtuse-acute symmetrical base; entire

margin opposite decussate arrangement, simple type.

Upper surface of leaf is dark green and lower surface is

light green in colour, agreeable and characteristic odour,

slightly bitter in taste; about 10-15 cm long and 3-5 cm

wide. The wood is cylindrical, smooth; cream to brown in

colour, having characteristic and bitter taste; 4-8cm

diameter. The fruits are globose, 2 seeded, somewhat

didymous, dark purple in colour, about 5-6mm diameter

having disagreeable odour and taste. The seeds are

oblong, brown in colour, having bitter and disagreeable

taste; about: 4mm long and 2mm wide [2, 3].

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collection and Identification of plant material

The flowers of Ixora pavetta Andr, were

collected during February 2010 from the coastal regions

of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. The specimen of

the plant material was identified and authenticated by

Mr.V.Chelladurai, Research officer-Botany, Central

Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha

(Government of India), Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

Preparation of the extract

The flowers of Ixora pavetta Andr. were dried

under shade and powdered into coarse state. The coarse

powder was extracted with ethanol using cold percolation

method [4]. The extract obtained was used to determine

for its anti bacterial and antifungal activities.

Corresponding Author:- R.V. Celestin baboo Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The anti-bacterial and antifungal activities of ethanolic extract of flowers of Ixora pavetta was studied by agar

cup plate method using Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus of gram positive; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas

aeruginosa of gram negative; and Aspergilus niger of antifungal strains. Ampicillin and Flucanazole were used as

reference standard for bacteria and fungi organisms respectively. The results suggest that, the ethanolic extract possess

significant antimicrobial activity when compared with the standard.

Key words: Anti-bacterial, Antifungal and Ixora pavetta.


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Anti-bacterial activity

In vitro antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract

of flowers of Ixora pavetta was evaluated against four

strains of microorganisms namely Bacillus subtilis,

Staphylococcus aureus of gram positive; Escherichia coli

and Pseudomonas aeruginosa of gram negative by agar

cup plate method using nutrient agar medium and nutrient

broth. Ampicillin was used as reference standard.

All the micro organisms were inoculated in the

media and incubated at 37oC for four hours. It produces a

turbid solution and then it was diluted with same media

and compared with the standard. This level was

equivalent to 3x108 CFU/ml.

The nutrient agar media was prepared,

transferred to sterile petri dishes and allowed to solidify.

A suspension of inoculum was added to media and swabs

the entire surface of agar media. The inoculum was

equally distributed in surface of the media by rotating the

plate. The inoculated nutrient agar from each plate was

punched with flame sterilized cork borer of size 5 mm

diameter to get four cups. The extract of different

concentrations and standard were dissolved by DMSO

and placed in each well separately under aseptic

condition. Left the plates for one hour at room

temperature as a period of pre-incubation diffusion to

minimize the effects of variation in time between the

applications of the different solutions. Then the plates

were incubated at 37oc for 18 hours and observed for

antibacterial activity. The diameters of the zones of

inhibition was observed and measured. The average area

of zone of inhibition was calculated and compared with

that of the standard [5, 6].

In vitro antifungal screening Evaluation of the Anti-fungal activity of

ethanolic extract of flowers of Ixora pavetta was tested by

agar cup plate method. The fungi employed for screenings

was Aspergilus niger. Sabourauds dextrose agar-agar and

Sabourauds dextrose broth were used as a medium.

Flucanazole was used as reference standard drug. The

stock solution of the reference standard (Flucanazole) and

test (extract) were prepared by dissolving in DMSO to

obtain required concentrations. The Sabourauds -

dextrose-agar medium was sterilized by autoclaving at

121C (15 lb/sq.inch) for 15 min. The Petri-plates, tubes and flasks plugged with cotton plugs were sterilized in hot

air-oven at 150C, for an hour. Transfer aseptically, molten Sabourauds dextrose-agar medium into each

sterilized petri-plate. Inoculate with fungus, after

solidification of the medium at room temperature. The

plates were punched with flame sterilized cork borer of

size 5 mm diameter to get four cups. The extract of

different concentrations and standard were placed in each

well separately under aseptic condition. The plates were

incubated at 30-350C for 48 hours [7]. After incubation

the diameter of zone of inhibition was measured and

tabulated.

Table 1. Zone of inhibition of ethanolic extract of flowers of Ixora pavetta against Gram positive Bacteria

S.No Drug treatment Concentration Zone of inhibition(mm)

Bacillus subtilis Staphylococcus aureus

1 Ixorapavetta 3mg/well 7.30.51 7.60.516


3 Ampicillin 0.2 mg/well 23.330.5 28.51.87

Table 2. Zone of inhibition of ethanolic extract of flowers of Ixora pavetta against Gram negative Bacteria


Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa



3 Ampicillin 0.2 mg/well 27.20.98 28.660.816

Table 3. Zone of inhibition of ethanolic extract of Ixora pavetta against Aspergilus niger Fungi


Aspergilus niger

1 Ixorapavetta 3mg/well 8.8 0.576

2 Ixorapavetta 5mg/well 18.830.75

3 Flucanazole 0.2 mg/well 29.330.82

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of antibacterial screening of flowers

of Ixora pavetta against Gram positive and Gram negative

Bacteria were presented in Table 1 and 2. Preliminary

antifungal screenings of ethanolic extract of flowers of

Ixora pavetta against fungi have been displayed in Table

3. It was observed that, the extract showed prominent anti


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bacterial and antifungal activity against the selected

strains of micro organisms.

CONCLUSION From the study, it can be concluded that, the

extract have great potential antimicrobial compounds

against micro organisms. Also suggest that, it can be used

in the treatment of various infectious diseases caused by

micro organisms. Invention of bioactive natural products

leads to the development of new Pharmaceuticals hither to

natural therapeutic needs. Such screening was in need of

drug discovery, which will play an important role in drug

development.

REFERENCES

1. Madhava Chetty K, Sivaji K and Tulasi Rao K. Flowering Plants of Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. First edition, 2008, 158.

2. Nadkarni AK, Nadkarnis KM. Indian Materia Medica, Popular Prakashan Private Limited. Volume I, 3rd edition, 1986, 925.

3. Matthew KM. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic. (F Tamil C), 1983, 67. 4. Sambamurthy K. Pharmaceutical Engineering, New Age International Publishers. 2dedition, 2005, 176-179. 5. Gunasekaran P. Laboratory Manual in Microbiology, New age International Publishers. 2002, 75-79. 6. Ravi kumar A and Subbu Rathinam KM. Antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Peltophorum pterocarpum,

Colvillea racemosa and Bauhinia purpurea. Adv. Pharmacol.Toxicol, 10(2), 2009, 97-100.

7. Duraiswamy B, Sagar Kumar Mishra, Subhashini V, Dhanraj SA and Suresh B. Studies on the Antimicrobial Potential of Mahonia leschenaultia Takeda Root and Root Bark. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2006, 389-391.

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ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FLOWERS OF IXORA PAVETTA ANDR