Dicentra scandens (D. Don) Walp. Root Phytochemical Constituents Against Potential Wound Pathogens

Objectives: To investigate the phytoconstituents of D. scandens and evaluate its activity against potential wound pathogens to validate its uses.
Materials and methods: Antibacterial and antifungal activity of the root extracts against bacterial strains and one clinically important yeast strain was assessed using the agar diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration studies and their effect was compared with some standard antibiotics. The presence of major phytoconstituents was detected qualitatively and quantitatively. Results: Aqueous ethanol and crude alkaloid extracts showed maximum inhibition of 37.5% and 33.13% and a minimum inhibitory concentration of 100 μg/ml and < 10 μg/ml against Streptococcus mutans and Proteus mirabilis, respectively. Most of the test pathogens, except P. mirabilis, were found to be susceptible to the two standard antibacterial and two standard antifungal drugs assayed. The phytochemicals detected included alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, tannins and terpenoids. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of ~ 5% alkaloids. Conclusion: The results indicated that the D. scandens possesses potential broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and the phytochemicals detected correlate well with the ethnomedicinal uses and hence require detailed phytochemical investigation for potential pharmaceutical applications.

Author(s): Khonamai Sewa Nakhuru, Neli Lokho Pfoze, Jyotchna Gogoi, Pronobesh Chattopadayay and Vijay Veer

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