EFFECT OF INDIAN SPICES ON THE GROWTH AND INHIBITION OF MICROORGANISMS
Paavan Singhal*, Preeti K. Sharma, Indu Sharma and Anil K. Sharma
ABSTRACT
Antibiotic resistance is the ability of microbes to show resistance against commonly used antimicrobials in hospitals and public health care settings. Infectious diseases caused by the potent microbes are threatening human health all over the world. Therefore, there is a need to find out new and authentic antimicrobials that could overcome the resistance and are free from side effects and usually inexpensive. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the spice extracts, obtained by using organic solvents with increasing polarity. Brassica nigra (Rai), Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Carum copticum (Ajwain), Nigella sativa (Kalonji) and Sesamum indicum (Til) were selected to evaluate their potential antimicrobial activity against five bacterial strains i.e. Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus mutansand two fungal strains such asAspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger using standard methods. The results of the study revealed that propanol and methanol extracts of Nigella sativa and Carum copticum showing promising antimicrobial activity. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values of various extracts ranged from 0.5mg/ml to 5mg/ml. All the spice extracts exhibited positive reactions to tannins, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids and carbohydrates but none of them contained saponins.
Keywords: Antimicrobial, Spices, Resistance, Zone of inhibition, Phytochemicals.
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