Study of Antimicrobial Properties of Himalayan Flora against Pathogenic Bacterial Species

Abstract

The development of antibiotic resistant bacteria stems from a number of factors, including inappropriate use of antibiotics in human and animal health and their prolonged use as growth promoters at sub-clinical doses in poultry and livestock production. Bacteria has become a pathogen of interest because of increasing cases of human infections caused by them. As bacterial strains are now becoming resistant to most of the antibiotics, it is very important to develop alternative methods in order to stop them. Recently, a lot of attention has been focused on production plant extracts that can serve as antimicrobial and antimycobacterial agents. Objective of our work was to scrutinize herbal plants that could be convenient in safeguarding humans or animals against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Escherichia coli. Objective of our work was to explore activity of vivid flora found in Himalayan region for screening against pathogenic bacteria and to prepare an alternative for increased mycobacterial and pathogenic bacterial resistance along with the determination of plant species which could serve as potential anti-mycobacterial and anti-diarrheagenic agents. We decided to work on extracts of leaves and roots of Valariana jatamansi and leaves of Urtica dioica plant species with good antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Extracts of leaves and roots of V. jatamansi and U. dioica were extracted with mixture of hexane, chloroform and methanol in 1:1:1 ratio and 95% ethyl acetate respectively and aqueous extracts were prepared afterwards and their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined using a microtitre plate serial dilution technique and macrobroth dilution technique against E. coli and M. smegmatis.