This paper deals with the biological properties Plectranthus Amboinicus (Lour) Spring. The plant samples of Plectranthus Amboinicus collected from local area of Salem, India during October 2016 were extracted in methanol, ethyl acetate, hexane and aqueous followed by cold percolation method.
Phytochemical analysis of plant extracts of Plectranthus Amboinicus (PAME, PAEA, PAHE & PAAE) has confirmed the presence of flavonoid, carbohydrate, tannin, glycoside, protein, alkaloid, fixed oil & fat, amino acid and saponin.
Plants have been used to treat human infectious diseases since ancient times; scientific investigations of plant material have clearly proved the therapeutic efficacy of plants over time. Nowadays, many countries use plants to treat different maladies including infectious diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and biliary systems.
Although significant progress has been made in microbiological research and in the control of many diseases caused by infectious organisms such as bacteria, recurrent epidemics due to drug resistant bacteria as well as the appearance of new bacterial pathogenic strains demand the discovery of new antibiotics. The investigation of medicinal plants using frontier technologies is now being reconsidered to be a feasible approach for discovering novel bioactive agents to solve widespread public health problems.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Review of Literature
3 Scope of the Present Study
4 Materials and Methods
5 Results
6 Discussion
7 Summary
8 References
Research Objectives and Focus Areas
This study focuses on the phytochemical characterization and the evaluation of the antibacterial, antioxidant, and mosquito-larvicidal properties of various solvent extracts derived from the medicinal plant Plectranthus amboinicus to explore its potential application in pharmaceuticals and vector control.
- Phytochemical screening and identification of bioactive compounds using HPLC and FTIR.
- In vitro assessment of antibacterial activity against specific dental pathogen strains.
- Quantification of antioxidant potential through DPPH, FRAP, and iron chelating assays.
- Evaluation of larvicidal efficacy against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae.
Excerpt from the Book
1. INTRODUCTION
Plants have always been a rich source of lead compounds like morphine, cocaine, digitalis, quinine, tubocurarine, nicotine, and muscarine. Many of these lead compounds are useful drugs in themselves (e.g. morphine and quinine), and some others from the basis for synthetic drugs (e.g. local anaesthetics developed from cocaine). Clinically useful drugs that have been recently isolated from plants include the anticancer agent paclitaxel (Taxol) from the yew tree, and the antimalarial agent artemisinin from Artemisia annua. The drugs from plant sources are usually considered to be non-toxic with lesser side effect when compared to the synthetic drugs. Traditional medicinal plants having anti-diabetic properties could form useful sources for the discovery of safer hypoglycemic agents (Sunila et al., 2012). The use of plant and its products has a long history that began with folk medicine and through the years has been incorporated into traditional and allopathic medicine (Dubey et al., 2011).
Plants have been used to treat human infectious diseases since ancient times; scientific investigations of plant material have clearly proved the therapeutic efficacy of plants over time. Nowdays, many countries use plants to treat different maladies including infectious diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and biliary systems (Rios and Recio, 2005). Although significant progress has been made in microbiological research and in the control of many diseases caused by infectious organisms such as bacteria, recurrent epidemics due to drug
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of medicinal plants as a source of bioactive compounds and discusses the current challenge of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens.
Review of Literature: Surveys existing research on the phytochemical, antibacterial, antioxidant, and larvicidal properties of various plant extracts.
Scope of the Present Study: Outlines the specific objectives, including the sample collection, screening, and characterization methods for Plectranthus amboinicus.
Materials and Methods: Describes the technical protocols for plant sample collection, extraction, phytochemical analysis, and the various biological assays performed.
Results: Presents the data gathered from the phytochemical screenings, antibacterial testing, and antioxidant assays, supported by tables and figures.
Discussion: Interprets the experimental findings in the context of recent scientific literature and underscores the pharmacological potential of Plectranthus amboinicus.
Summary: Concisely summarizes the key findings of the study regarding the biological activity and chemical characterization of the tested extracts.
References: Lists the academic literature and citations used throughout the research work.
Keywords
Plectranthus amboinicus, phytochemical profile, antibacterial activity, antioxidant, mosquito-larvicidal, Aedes aegypti, HPLC, FTIR, medicinal plants, drug resistance, secondary metabolites, dental pathogens, DPPH assay, plant extracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this scientific work?
The work investigates the phytochemical composition and potential pharmacological properties of Plectranthus amboinicus to evaluate its utility in fighting drug-resistant pathogens and pests.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study centers on phytochemical screening, antibacterial evaluation against dental pathogens, antioxidant capacity analysis, and larvicidal activity against mosquito vectors.
What is the main research objective?
The primary aim is to characterize the extracts of Plectranthus amboinicus and validate their effectiveness as natural antibacterial, antioxidant, and insecticidal agents.
Which scientific methods were utilized?
The research employed extraction methods, qualitative phytochemical tests, HPLC and FTIR for compound identification, and various biological assays including agar well diffusion and radical scavenging tests.
What does the main body of the work address?
It details the materials and methods used for extraction and analysis, reports the experimental results, and provides a critical discussion comparing these findings with existing scientific studies.
What are the characterizing keywords of the study?
Key terms include Plectranthus amboinicus, phytochemistry, antibacterial activity, antioxidant properties, and mosquito-larvicidal performance.
How were the antibacterial properties measured?
Antibacterial activity was assessed using an agar well diffusion method to measure the zones of inhibition produced by the plant extracts against oral bacterial strains.
What specific mosquitoes were targeted for testing?
The larvicidal tests were specifically conducted on the fourth instar larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito species.
What significance does the FTIR analysis hold?
The FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify functional groups present in the plant extracts, helping to correlate chemical composition with the observed biological effects.
- Quote paper
- Paramasivam Deepak (Author), A. Palanisamy (Author), P. Perumal (Author), 2019, Evaluation of biological properties of Plectranthus Amboinicus (Lour) Spring, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1236561
