INDIAN SPICES AND ITS ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY

Bhawana Pandey, Bhawika Sharma, Shabina Khan

Abstract: Antibiotic toxicity and multi drug resistant pathogens are the two greatest challenges being faced by today s medical world. In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of spices has been investigated as an alternative to antibiotics in order to tackle these dangers. In search of bioactive compound, methanol and acetone extract of 5 Indian spices were screened for antibacterial property. The choice of spice as an alternative is based on two basic reasons: firstly, plants have been the model source of medicine since ancient times and secondly, the increasing acceptance of herbal medicines by general population methanolic and acetone extracts were used to determine antifungal properties of the spices. The antifungal activity of five common Indian spices namely clove, ajwain, turmeric, dalchini and black pepper against two bacteria Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma sp. The results revealed that the methanol extracts of spices (MIC values of 20- 100 µl/ml) have high antimicrobial activities on all test organisms (range of inhibition, 6- 16 mm) as compare to acetone extracts of spices in same concentration. Results concluded that these spices contain high amount of secondary metabolites due to these metabolites they have high antimicrobial activity and it can be used as good bio- preservater and it can also use for medicinal purpose.

Keywords: Antibacterial Properties, Secondary Metabolites, Multi Drug Resistant Pathogens.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2013.0212028