SCREENING OF EXTRACTS OF Dioscorea bulbifera FROM MALAKKAPPARA FOREST AREA, KERALA
Dr. Viji M. O.*, Neeba Wilson and Lamin Rose
ABSTRACT
Tribals living in Western Ghats of Kerala practice their own traditional system of herbal treatment with high degree of confidentiality. The study investigates on Dioscorea bulbifera, one such folkoric medicinal plant of phytochemical and pharmaceutical interests with its unique therapeutic properties. Selected plant parts were extracted with different solvents in order of increasing polarity namely chloroform,
ethyl acetate and methanol. The phytochemical screening of root and leaf extracts revealed the presence of Tannins, Phenolics, Glycosides, Resins, Terpenoids and Anthraquinones. Antibacterial activities of the extracts were screened against Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Eschericia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Root extracts were more effective with regard to the inhibition zone diameter. TLC profiling of the extracts confirms the presence of various phytochemicals providing a valuable clue regarding the potential of plant as a source of plant based drugs.
Keywords: Dioscorea bulbifera, Phytochemicals, antibacterial activity, Thin layer chromatography.
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