Antimicrobial Potential of Euphorbia thymifolia Linn

SR Kane*, VA Apte, SB Patil and  CS Magdum

Department of Pharmachemistry, Appasaheb Birnale College of Pharmacy,  South Shivaji Nagar Sangli, 416 416.

*Corresponding Author E-mail:  kanesandeep@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT

The present work deals with phytochemical investigation of Euphorbia thymifolia Linn. The aqueous extract by maceration and the plant extracted with ethanol and methanol by successive solvent extraction in soxhlet assembly. Antimicrobial activity of all extract where screened by paper disk method against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Candida albicans.

 

KEY WORDS:  Antimicrobial Activity, Euphorbia Thymifolia Linn.

 


INTRODUCTION:


Euphorbia thymifolia Linn is commonly known as duddhi & is grown in India. It belongs to family Euphorbiaceae. The plant is bitter, acrid, sweet, thermogenic, and laxative, diuretic. It is useful in vitiated condition of constipation, helminthiasis, and ringworm, skin diseases and leprosy. (1)  The leaves and seeds are given in worm cases and in certain bowel affections of children & they are considered stimulant and laxative.(2,3)  Antiviral activity is proven in experiment & Antimicrobial activity is reported.(4) this stimulated to evaluate the activity of varies extract of the plant against varies type of microorganism.

 

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

Collection and preparation of extracts:

Fresh plant of Euphorbia thymifolia Linn was collected from Sangli area. The plant was washed and was shaded dried to obtain coarse powder. This powder was subjected to different extraction procedures.

 

The aqueous extract was prepared by maceration process, (5) in which the powdered leaves were macerated with 10% chloroform water for seven days with occasional shaking. The menstrum obtained after the filtration was evaporated to get thick past. The air-dried powder plant material extracted in soxhlet extraction assembly (6) with petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, acetone, ethanol and methanol.

 

Finally the drug macerated with chloroform water. Each time before extraction with the next solvent, the powder material dried in hot air oven below 50oCthe extract were subjected to evaporating on steam bath at 75 oC. The thick past of extract was obtained. The solubility of thick past extract was checked in different solvents.

 

Preparation and suspension of test bacteria:

18 to 24 hours old culture of broth gram positive and gram negative growing bacteria were used for Preparation of suspension of test bacteria in sterile normal saline. The gram positive bacteria used were Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, the gram negative bacteria were used Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, and the yeast Candida albicans and the turbidity of the suspension was adjusted to the turbidity of solution of the McFarland standred.

 

Detection of Antimicrobial activity:

During this work, tryptone Soya Moll (himedia) was used for testing Antimicrobial activity. The Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by “Paper disk plate method”(7) in which sterile paper of 4 mm diameter punched by punching machine. plates were previously inoculated with the suspension of the test microorganism. Small paper disk impregnated with 10 mg /10ul of each extract were placed upon the surface of an inoculated plate. Along with extract, paper disk impregnated with 10 mg /10ul of ethanol was also placed on the surface of inoculated plate as a negative control. A standred disk containing 25 ug of cotrimazole was also placed on the agar surface as positive control (8). The plates were then incubated at 37oC. After 24 hrs incubation results were recorded by measuring the zone of inhibition.

 

 


Table 1 ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF EUPHORBIA THYMIFOLIA Linn. EXTRACT.


Sr. no.

Name of microorganism

Aqueous extract (10mg)

Ethanolic extract

Petroleum ether extract

Chloroform extract

Methanol

extract

Acetone extract

Benzene extract

1

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

9

9

5

6

9

11

6

2

Proteus vulgaris

8

10

6

7

8

10

10

3

S aureus

12

11

5

5

11

9

4

4

Bacillus subtilus

-

8

8

8

5

11

5

5

Candida albicans

12

11

10

10

6

9

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

From the table 1. It can be concluded that the aqueous extract showed Antimicrobial activity against all test microorganism except Bacillus subtilus. The successive ethanolic extract shows Antimicrobial activity against all test microorganisms. The petroleum ether extract and chloroform extract shows activity against Candida albicans. The methanolic extract and ethanolic extract shows activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris. The benzene extract active against Proteus vulgaris. The Acetone extract active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilus. Hence from this observation it was revealed that aqueous and successive-ethanpolic extract showed significant anti microbial activity against most of the microorganism. Acetone  extract shows grater zone of inhibition against as compare to all extracts of Euphorbia thymifolia linn.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

We all authors are thankful to our beloved Principal Prof. D.D. Chougule for his kind support and guidance in our work.

 

REFERENCES:

1.      A. K. Nadkarni: The Indian materia medica, 1982; vol I: pp522-531.

2.      K.R.Kirtikar, B.D.Basu: Indian medicinal plants: 1991; II nd ed: vol III: pp 2191- 2208.

3.      Arya vaidya sala. Indian medicinal plants: vol III; 1995:pp 6-7.

4.      Gupta B. Srivastava RS. Goyal R.”Therapeutic Uses of Euphorbia thymifolia: A Review: 2007; 2: Vol 1: 7-11.

5.      Rangari VD. Pharmacognosy &Phytochemistry.Part I Nasik Career Publication. 2002; IST Ed: pp130.

6.      Kokate CK. Purohit AR. Gokhale SB. Pharmacognosy: Niraliprakashan, pune. 2004; 27th ed: pp106.

7.      Peiczar M. Krieg C.microbiolog 5 th ed: 536.

8.      Kulkarni SK. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology: Vallabh     Prakashan, Delhi.1999; pp192.


 



 

 

Received on 11.09.2008           Modified on 29.10.2008

Accepted on 02.11.2008          © RJPT All right reserved

Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 2(1): Jan.-Mar. 2009; Page  208-209