Abstract
Medicinal plants have played a vital role in drug production. Using plant extracts directly has proved to be risk-free. Caralluma tuberculata is a perennial succulent, branched herb. Traditionally, the plant has been used for its therapeutic properties for treating many diseases for example diabetes mellitus, weight loss, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis etc. In the current studies, Crude ethanolic extracts of Caralluma tuberculata stem were used to investigate its antibacterial, antifungal, haemagglutination, phytotoxic properties. Antibacterial assay was carried out by agar well diffusion technique. Zones of inhibition around the bacterial colonies showed the antibacterial properties of plant extract. Extracts of Caralluma tuberculata stem were effective against all test organisms (Escherichia coli, Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Staphylococcus aureus) except Staphylococcus epidermidis. Antifungal assay was carried out using agar tube dilution method. Among the fungal species (Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma harizanum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasitica and Penecillium spp) only Fusarium oxysporum was moderately affected. Haemagglutination assay was carried out to check the presence of Phyto-glutinin in crude plant extract, however, no haemagglutination activity was found. Phytotoxic assay was used to investigate the phytotoxic properties of Caralluma tuberculata stem extracts against Lemna minor. The plant extracts showed highest phytotoxic activity at concentration of 1000 µg/L against the test plant. Our findings necessitate further investigations to be conducted for the isolation and characterization of active ingredients in pure form. These compounds could then be utilized in the formulation of antimicrobial drugs which are cheaper, safer and more effective.
