ANTIMICROBIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF LEAF EXTRACT OF MEDICINAL FRUIT PLANTS

Objective: The present study objective was to describe the in-vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activity of ethyl acetate extracts from leaves of papaya, pomegranate, banana and guava. , Present investigation showed that leaves extract of fruits plants are good source of bioactive compounds which have some ethnomedicinal applications were screened for their antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogen of human. Methods: A total of four plant extracts were used in this study to examine their antimicrobial properties and phytochemical analysis. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated for crude ethyl acetate extracts against human pathogen Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus  aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginasa using an agar diffusion assay. Phytochemical analysis tests for the screening and identification of bioactive chemical constituents of extracts of the fruits leaf was performed. This study was also conducted to determine the total phenols present in leaf extract of fruit plants.Results : The guava leaves crude extract showed MIC of 3.75 mg/ml for B. subtilis and P. aeruginasa, which showed its efficacy as a potent antimicrobial. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of bioactive compound such as saponins, alakaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates and tannins. The ethyl acetate extract of banana produced highest zone of inhibition 23 mm for B subtilis. This study showed that Punica granatum leaf is a good source of phenolic compounds.Conclusion: This study concludes that these fruit leaves are potential source for bioactive metabolites and may be used in Pharmaceutical industry. On the basis of the present finding leaf extract of fruits possess the capabilities of being a good candidate in the search for a natural antimicrobial agent against infections and/or diseases caused by human pathogens.Key words:  Leaves extract, Fruits, Antimicrobial activities, Antifungal activities, Minimum inhibitory concentration, Phytochemicals analysi

ANTAGONISTIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM NEEDLE OF CUPRESSUS TORULOSA D.DON

Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate antagonistic and antibacterial activities of the endophytic fungi isolated from living symptomlessneedle of Cupressus torulosa D.Don from Pauri, Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms calls forinventive research and development strategies. Inhibition of these pathogenic microorganisms may be a promising therapeutic approach. Thescreening of antimicrobial compounds from endophytes may be a promising way to meet the increasing threat of drug-resistant strains of human andplant pathogens.Methods: A total of five different fungal endophytes were isolated from the needle of C. torulosa D.Don using potato dextrose agar medium. Thesefungal isolates morphotypically characterized. These isolates were further tested for antagonistic activity by the dual culture technique. Among fiveendophytic fungi, only two fungal endophytes were cultured to examine their antimicrobial properties and phytochemical analysis. Antimicrobialactivity was evaluated for crude hexane extracts against human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium usingan agar diffusion assay.Results: A total of five fungal endophytes characterized as such as Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus sp., Fuzaium sp., Curvularia sp., and Diaporthe sp.In which, only two endophytic fungal isolates such as PCTS23 and WCTS21 characterized morphotypically as Cladosporium sp. and Curvularia sp.,respectively, were able to show strong antagonism activity against fungal pathogen. The fungal isolate PCTS3 was more active against Macrophominaphaesolina with antagonistic index 88.88 while WCTS21 was more active against F. solani with antagonistic index 80. The fungal crude extract ofWCTS21 produced the highest zone of inhibition 12 mm for S. aureus, whereas crude extract of PCTS23 from hexane crude extract has shown thehighest zone of inhibition of 10 mm against S. aureus. A preliminary qualitative phytochemical analysis of fungal crude extracts also revealed thepresence of bioactive metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids in endophytic fungi.Conclusions: This study concludes that endophytic fungi isolated from C. torulosa D.Don could be a potential source for bioactive metabolites andmay be used in pharmaceutical industry. The generated data has provided the basis for its application in the pharmaceutical industry in the form oftraditional and folk medicine.Keywords: Endophytic fungi, Cupresus torulosa, Antibacterial activity, Phytochemical analysis, Bioactive metabolites, Antagonistic activity