Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Abstract

Antimicrobial, Synergistic Activity and Antioxidant Studies on Multidrug Resistance Human Pathogen using Crude Extract of Azadirachta indica Leaf and Withania somnifera Rhizome

Muddukrishnaiah K and Sumita Singh

We studied effect of A. indica and W. somnifera crude extracts against the multi-drug resistant strains (MDR) and synergistic activity of A. indica and W. somnifera crude extracts on MDR strains (Agar well diffusion method). Both aqueous as well as alcoholic extracts of the plant (root as well as leaves) were found to possess strong antibacterial activity against a range of bacteria. Combination exhibited excellent synergy. The aqueous extract and ethanolic extract of A. indicaand W. somnifera exhibited very good synergistic activity against the MDR strain. Extracts were examined for its free radical scavenging activity by DPPH assay. IC50 value was found that 68.75 μg/ml (ethanolic extract) and 74.83 μg/ml (aqueous extract) of A. indica and 94.28 μg/ml (ethanolic extract) and 88.79 μg/ml (aqueous extract) of W. somnifera, which is significant when compared to solution of Ascorbic acid 50.58 μg/ml. Reducing ability of the crude extracts of Azadirachta indica (aqueous and ethanolic extract) and W. somnifera (aqueous and ethanolic extract), which is significant when compared to the standard butylatedhydroxy toluene (BHT). Results obtained from this study suggests that A. indica and W. somnifera (aqueous and ethanolic) extracts may be attractive for the ‘drug hunters’ as a potential agent for the management of infectious diseases against the human pathogens.