Abstract

SCREENING FOR PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CYPERUS ROTUNDUS LINN

Krishna Samariya* and Renu Sarin

ABSTRACT

Due to a rapid increase in the rate of infections, antibiotic resistance in microorganisms and due to side effects of synthetic antibiotics, medicinal plants are being popular over these drugs.In the present study Cyperus rotundus rhizomes extracts were evaluated on Gram positive bacteria-Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160), Micromona spora (MTCC 3296),Gram negative – Zymomonas mobilis (MTCC88), Escherichia coli (MTCC 443), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 4676), and fungi- Aspergilus niger (MTCC 1344) Alternaria solani (MTCC 2101), Penicillium chrysogenum (MTCC 161) and Fusarium culmorum (MTCC349). The powdered rhizome extracts were successively extracted with petroleum ether, ethanol, methanol and aqueous solution using Soxhlet apparatus. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were performed by Disc diffusion method. The methanolic extract exhibited highest zone of inhibition against the bacterial strain in S. aureus (23±0.44 mm) with low MIC values (0.450mg/ml)and in the case of fungal strains P. chrysogenum (17±0.52) with low MIC values (0.162mg/ml). However, none of activity is shown by aqueous extract against pathogenic bacteria. Results obtained in the present study indicate that Cyperus rotundus possess compounds which possesses antimicrobial properties that can be exploited for future natural plant based antimicrobial agents.

Keywords: Cyperus rotundus, antibacterial, Minimum inhibitory concentration, phytochemical analysis.