Phytochemicial Screening and Antibacterial Property of Centella Asiatica (Linn).

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants as a source for relief from illness can be traced back over five millennia from start of human civilization. Medicinal plant represents a rich source of antimicrobial agents. Plants are used as also a source of many potent and power full drugs. Historically pharmacological screening of compounds of natural or synthetic origin has been the source of innumerable therapeutic agents. A wide range of medicinal plant parts is used for extract as raw drugs and they possess varied properties. The plant used for the present study was Centella asiatica. Which is a very common plant and was traditionally used for various purposes, especially as single medicinal therapy. The present study mainly focused on the phytochemical, antibacterial property of the plant Centella asiatica. The leaf and root of the plant is used for the analysis. Methanol and petroleum ether were used as solvents for preparing the extracts. The phytochemical analysis revealed that the plant Centella asiatica contains most of the important phytochemicals such as carboxylic acid, flavanoids, saponin, resin, Xanthoprotein, coumarins etc. These plant extract were also tested against three bacterial strains Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebisiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the extract showed good inhibitory activity. The methanol leaf and petroleum ether root showed maximum inhibitory activity. Among the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus was most effectively inhibited by the plant extract.