Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Investigations of Methanolic Extract of Dracaena spicata

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge of herbal medicines for skin diseases like boils, eczema, scabies, septic abscess, itching and skin allergy, burns, chicken pox, warts and leucoderma, fungal and bacterial infections, including healing cuts and wounds has been documented by randomly interviewing Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga tribes of the hill tracts districts of Bangladesh since 1995. The plant Dracaena spicata has been used for the general promotion of health and longevity by Asian tribal(specially Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga). It is used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases cough, syphilis , conjunctivitis, constipation, pills prepared from the leaves are taken with warm water twice daily for the treatment of measles by the Chakma etc. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Dracaena spicata. The antimicrobial activities of methanolic solvent extract of Dracaena spicata plant were tested against the gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains by observing the zone of inhibition. The antimicrobial test was performed by disc diffusion method. The crude methanolic extract of Dracaena spicata plant showed poor antimicrobial activities against the microorganisms at concentrations of 600 μg/disc. However, no activity was found against Bacillus megaterium, Salmonella paratyphi. The antioxidant effect of methanolic extract of Dracaena spicata was determined by calculating reducing power of the content. Reducing power was determined by using ascorbic acid as standard. By determining antioxidant property, the present result suggests that the tested plant extracts have potent antioxidant activity. In conclusion, further investigations are needed to identify the active constituents and the exact mechanism(s) of action responsible for the reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Dracaena spicata.