Herbal Antibacterials

Harshvardhan Mishal and Rahul Somani Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Smt. S.S. Patil College of Pharmacy, Chopda, Dist. Jalgaon (M.S.), India.

During the last two decades there has been a Samhita 1 is the oldest text on the complete treatment tremendous progress in development of synthetic as well as semi-synthetic drugs which possess of diseases, which specifiesthe use of hundreds of herbs antibacterial activity. Although much attention has for the complete treatment of bacterial diseases, like been paid to develop the potent antibacterial drugs leprosy, diarrhoea, tuberculosis etc. Ayurveda has given. with fewer side effects and adverse reactions, relatively a few of them are really free from adverse effects. due importance to the use of medicinal in the Several medicinal plants have been observed to possess treatment of various infectious diseases. A large antimicrobial activity. This review deals with such number of such herbs are mentioned in Bhavprakash2 medicinal plants as a means to contribute towards the 3 development of effective and safe antimicrobial agents. and Aryavaidya Kalanidhi • Indian Materia Medica4 also gives a large number of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases, like Introduction syphilis, gonorrhoea and other types of bacterial infections. The compilation by Dastur5 enlists more In this world, heavily populated with bacteria, than 100 plants mentioned as antibacterial in the viruses and fungi, infection is the major cause of indigenous systems of medicine. Ghosh and Agarwal6 diseases in human beings. Infectious diseases arise have described the use of Cynodon dactylon, Asclepias from the organisms that are pathogenic and curassavica, , Micromelum which harbour either in the external environment integerrimum and many other plants in the treatment or in our body itself. Bacterial world is heavily of gonorhoea, syphilis, pneumonia, leprosy and populated with too many species which produce in tuberculosis. human beings and animals, fulminating infections, like tetanus, gas gangrene, syphilis, gonorrhoea, Pharmacological Evaluation of Single Drugs diptheria, leprosy, tuberculosis and urinary tract infections ete, The information available on the evaluation of Basically, all such infections are described in all single drugs is tremendous. Several workers have important Ayurvedic texts1 since long, long time. A reported the positive effects of the medicinal plants number of drugs and thei-r compositions are against various . strains of Gram positive and Gram recommended forsuch conditions in the ancient classics negative bacteria7• as well as in modern medicine. Some of the herbal The reports are available on the antibacterial drugs used in traditional systems of medicine and have activity of ethyl acetate extract of Funaria been reported to possess antibacterial activity are hygrometrica8 against six human pathogenic bacteria mentioned in Table I. including Escherichia coli, Haemophilus infiuenza, The ancient Ayurve4ic texts have described all Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella such infectious diseases under different headings and typhi and Shigella boydii. In his study on Funaria categories. One of the ancient available classic Charak hygrometrica, Ghanguru and Raman8 have reported

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TABLE I Antibacterial Herbs

No. Name Family Parts Used Ref. No.

1. Ascelepias curassavica Asclepiadaceae Roots 6, 40 Asclepias tuberosa 2. Asclepiadaceae Roots 40 Agathosma betulina 3. Rutaceae Leaves 40 Aloe vera 4. Liliaceae Leaves 40 5. Ailanthus excelsa Simaroubiaceae Stem bark 17 Achras sapota 6. Sapotaceae Leaves 15 7. Allium sativum Liliaceae Bulbs 40 8. Annona cherimolia Annonaceae Whole 9 9. Andrographis paniculata Acanthaceae Whole 6, 36 10. Anacardium occidentale Fruits, bark 6, 21 11. Berberis aristata Berberidaceae Stem bark 27, 40 12. Cynodon dactylon Graminae Whole 2, 6 Cocos nucifera 13. Palmae Fruits 2, 6, 13 14. Cnicus benedictus Compositae Dried arial parts 40 15. Cinnamomum zeylanicum Lauraceae Stem bark 35, 40 16. Connarus monocarpus Decoction 2, 6 17. • Emblica offu:inalis Euphorbiaceae Fruits 43 18. Glyeyrrhiza glabra Leguminosae Stem bark 2,5,6,44 19. Holarrhena antidysenterica Apocynaceae Bark 6,40, 44 20. Nardostachys jatamansi Valerinaceae Whole 44 21. lmperata cylindrica Graminae Root decoction 6, 44 22. Humulus lupulus Cannabinaceae Dried strobiles 40 23 Inula helenium Compositae Whole 6, 40 24. Populus candicus Burseraceae Buds 40 25. Primula vulgaris Labiatae Arial parts 40 26. Rosmarinus officinalis Labiatae Leaves 40

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18 that the antibacterial activity of this was observed of a tendril climber (Cardiospermum helicacabum . ) in ethyl acetate as well as in methanolic extract. Its leaves against Escherichia coli, Klebsiellapneumoniae, aqueous extract showed no antibacterial effect. Padma Salmonella typhi, Shigella boy(i,ii and Xanthomonas and Khosa9 have mentioned the antimicrobial activity oryzae. of Dihydrocherimoline and Almunequin, the two In their compilation of the medicinal plants, used 9 9 acteogenins separated from Annona cherimolia • in the treatment of skin diseases, Vohora and Mishra19 The antibacterial activity of the. root and stem bark have given the list of more than fifty herbs which powders of a Zambian medicinal plant Cassia possess the antibacterial activity. Many other species 10 10 abriviata Oliv. is reported by Shiv Prakash • This which are reported to be antibacterial in this category 20 2 plant is used as an antidiarrhoeal remedy in Zambia. are Marus alba , Anacardium occidentale 1, Curcuma 22 23 24 25 2 In his in vitro testing on Staphylococcus aureus and longa , Lantana camara • , Lepidium sativum • 6, 21 28 Shigella dysenterica he has reported antibacterial Berberis aristata , Gynandropsis gynandra , 29 30 activity of Cassia abriviata. Heterostemma tanjorense , Peganum harmala , 1 12 31 32 The antibacterial activity of Sida cordifolia 1• Heliotropium ellipticium , Withania somnifera , 11 12 33 34 35 and Sida rhomboidea • against Pseudomonas Tinospora , Dalbergia , Cinnamomum , 36 31 aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi A, Streptococcus . Andrographis , Striga sulphurea , Hemidesmus 31 38 39 albus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Baccillus subtilis is indicus , Alangium lamarckii and Allium sativum • 12 40 mentioned by Joy et al. • Crude aqueous extract of Karnik et al., have given a similar compilation of shell fibres of Cocos nucifera was foundhighly effective medicinal herbs wluch are used as antibacterial drugs. in inhibiting the growth of Streptococci and 13 Staphylococci by Bairy et al. • Similarly, antimicrobial Pharmacological Evaluation of property of some of the · species of Ailanthus genera Composite Drugs has been mentioned by Shrimali et al. 14 •

The pronounced antibacterial activity of solvent A cursory glance at the market of Ayurvedic ether and ethyl acetate soluble fractions of methanolic products shows that near about every composite drug 15 extract of leaf of Achras sapota Linn. have been specifiedby ancient Ayurvedic texts is available in the observed and reported by Pal et al., 15 against Bacillus proprietary form. Most of these composite drugs hav� subtilus and Escherichia coli. The ethyl acetate been clinically evaluated. fraction of the Achras sapota15 leaf extract has been Two clinicaltrials have been reported with a coded 41 42 reported to be more active against Pseudomonas multi-action gel preparation AV/AAGD/14 • in the aeruginosa than solvent ether fraction while both skin affections of dogs in 31 cases. A significant solvent ether and ethyl acetate fractions were foundto improvement was observed after 10-15 days' topical be active against Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella application, curing a variety of specific and non-specific pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The reports dermatitis, surgical and maggot wounds, scabies and are also available on the growth inhibiting property of eczema. 16 43 fruit extracts of Psoralia corylifolia against An Ayurvedic toothpaste based op Dashan Streptococcus citreus, Staphylococcus aureus and Sanskar Churan has been clinically investigated in Streptococcus albus including penicillin resistant 50 patients of dental diseases and reported to be 16 strains also . effectivein controlling them. Efficiency of some topical With essential oil of the fruits of Psoralia applications44 containing Nardostachys jatamansi, corylifolia16 Agrawal and Rangari16 have mentioned Symplocus racemosa, Ghycyrrhiza glabra, Holarrhena good antibacterial activity of the plant against antidysenterica, Emblica officinalis and other plants Salmonella pullorum, BaciUus anthrisum and have been reported in a single blind randomised 44 Klebsiellaspecies. The active principles excelsin, 13(18) comparative trial in the treatment of acne vulgaris • de-hydrc,excelsin and 1,12-deoxy 13-formyl ailanthinone· Similarly, pronounced improvement in the health of 11 45 isolated from the stem bark of Ailanthus excelsa patients, suffering from urinary tract infections , has Roxb., were reported to inhibit the growth of also been reported with the use of decoctions of the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. roots of Desmostachya bipinnata, Saccharum Raman et al., 18 have reported the profound spontaneum, Saccharum officinar:um, Imperata antibacterial activity of the crude ethyl acetate extract cylinderica and Arundo karka.

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Conclusion 16. Rangari, V.D., Agarwal, S.R., (1992). Indian Drugs., 29(15), p. 662. 17. Khan, M.S.Y., Javed Kalim, KhanIrfan, (1994). Indian Drugs, A large number of medicinal plants which possess 31(3), p. 125. 18. Raman, N., Radha, A., Ravi, M., (1998). Indian Drugs, 35(1), antibacterial activity and are used in the treatment of p. 29. different bacterial infections are mentioned in 19. Vohora, S.B., Mishra, G.V., (1998). Indian Drugs, 35(1), p. 1. Ayurvedic texts. Most of these plants are utilized in 20. Singh, KP., (1997). Indian Drugs, 34(9), p. 488. 21. Sathwane, P.S., Kasture, V.S., Kasture, S.B., Pal, S.C., (1997). Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine. This area Indian Drugs, 34(8), p. 459. has still ample scope forfurther research. The present 22. Chandi, C. Rath, Dash Shashi, K, Mishra Rabindra, data may provide the material for the discovery of Azeemoddin, G., (1999). Indian Drugs,, 36(2), p. 133. 23. Verma, D.K., Singh, S.K., (1997). Indian Drugs, 34(1), p. 32. new, safe and economical antibacterial drugs. 24. Kirtikar, K.R. and Basu, B.D., (1993). Indian Medicinal Plan.ts,Vols. I toIV, LalitMohan Basu Prakashan, Allahabad. 26. Saba Ali, Shrivastava, P.S., (1997). Indian Drugs, 34(5), p. 286. 27. Chauhan, S.K, Singh, B.P., Agrawal, S., (1998). Indian Drugs, 35(8), p. 468. REFERENCES 28. Rajeshwara Rao, P., Murlimohan Babu, G.V., (1998). Indian Drugs, 35(11), p. 721. 29. Lakshmi, P.S., Bhosale, L.H., (1999). Indian Drugs, 36(3), 1. Chandra Kaviratna, A. and Sharma, P., (1996). Charak p. 196. Samhita, Vols. I to V, Ilnd revised ed., Sri Satguru 30. Gaviraj, E.N., Rameshbabu, G., (1998). Indian Drugs, 35(8), Publications, Delhi, India. p. 471. 2. Vaishya Lalashaligram, ( 1935). Bhavprakash, Shri 31. Jain, S.C., Singh, B., (1998). Ind. J. Pharm. Sci., 60(6), Venkateshwar (Steam) Mudranalaya, Mumbai, India. p. 394. 3. Kavade Krishnashastri, Gune, G., (1986). Aryavaidya­ 32. Sharma Kalpana, Dandiya, P.C., (1992). Indian Drugs, 29(6), kalanidhi, VIIth ed. p. 247. 4. Nadkarni, A.K, (1976). Indian Materia Medica, Vols. I and 33. Venkata Rao, E., Ch. V. Sai Prakash, (1998). Indian Drugs, II, Popular Prakashan (Pvt.) Ltd., Mumbai. 36(2), p. 81. 5. Dastur, J.F., (1988). Medicinal Plants of India and Pakistan, 34. Khan, M.S.Y � Javed Kalim, (1997). Indian Drugs, 34(7), D.B. Taraporewala Sons and Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., Worli, Mumbai. p. 373. 6. Ghosh, B. and Agarwal, V.S., (1985). Drug Plant of India, 35. Iyengar, M. A., Ghosh, T., Naik, S.G.K., (1994). lhdian Drugs, (Root Drugs), pp. 42, 76, 85, 171, Kalya.ni Publishers, 31(3), p. 87. Ludhiyana. 36. Saxena,S., Jain, D.S., Sharma Ram, P., (1998). Indian Drugs, 7. Pelczar, M.J. (Jr.), Chan, E.C.S., Krieg Noel, R., (1986). 35(8), p. 458. Microbiology, Vth ed., McGraw Hill Bomk Company, 37. Hiremath, S.P., Rudresh, K., Badami, S., (1997). Ind. J. Singapore, pp. 261-285. Pharm. Sci., 59(3), pp. 145-157. 8. Ghanguru, A., Raman, N., Gopinathan, S., Rajendra, V., 38. Gond Gopal, S., Shankhaphal, K.V., (1998). Indian Drugs, (1992). Indian Dru.gs, 29(13), fl. 598. 35(12), p. 778. 9. Padma, P., Khosa, R.L., Sahai Mahendra, (1996). Ind. 39. Jain,R.C., (1994). Indian Drugs, 31(10), p. 500. J. Nat. Pdt., 12(2), p. 3. 40. Karnik, C.R., (1994). Pn.armacopoeial Standards of Herbal 10. Shiv Prakash, Khare, A.K., (1993). Indian Drugs, 30(1), Plants, Vols. I and II, 1st' ed., Sri Satguru Publications p. 32. (A Division of Indian Book Centre), Delhi, India. 11. Alam, M., Joy, S., Ali, S.U., (1991). Indian Drugs, 28(9), 41. Agarwal, AK., (1997). Ind. Vet. J., 74(5), pp. 417-419. p. 397. 42. Uthapp, D., Sharma, B.N., (1996). Ind. Vet. Med. J., 20(3), 12. Joy, S., Ali, S.U., (1991). Indian Drugs, 28(12), p. 570.· pp. 231-233. 13. Bairy, I., Bhat, KS., Shivananda, P.G., (1997). Indian Drugs, 43. Pandya, N., Jain, A.K., Soni, S.S., (1997). Sachitra Ayurved, 34(3), p. 143. 47(12), pp. 907-909. 14. Shrimali, M., Jain, D., Sharma, R., (1997). Indian Drugs, 44. Paranjpe, P., (1997). J. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant 34(3), p. 154. Sciences, 19(2), pp. 414-418. 15. Pal, S.C., Kasture, S.B., Sathavane, P.S., (1997). Indian 45. Pathak, S.N., Kaur, H., (1994). J. Res. Ayu. and Siddha, Drugs, 34(3), p. 174. 15(3-4), pp. 129-139.

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