European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF PICEA SMITHIANA (HIMALAYAN SPRUCE) NEEDLES FROM KUMAUN HIMALAYA

Urvashi Verma* and T. K. Nailwal

ABSTRACT

The use of pharmacologically active substances found in medicinal plants in preventing diseases caused by microbial attack and oxidative stress, have received a great deal of attention. The present study aimed to evaluate the biochemical properties of Himalayan spruce Picea smithiana needles using four different extracts (hexane and aqueous) by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical methods along with their antibacterial activity against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria responsible for many diseases including human. From the observed results it is clear that ethanol extract was found more suitable to extract out the primary as well as secondary metabolites and also showed good amount of total phenolic and total flavonoid content ranged from 254- 43 μg/ gm dry extract weight of the plant with low IC50 value for free radical scavenging activity. In antimicrobial screening the ethanol extracts was found effective against all tested bacteria except Pseudomonas aeruginosa with zone of inhibition (ZOI) upto 11.5 mm at 1000 μg/ml concentration and MIC 31.25 μg/ml. These results reveal that the extracts of P. smithiana are possible good source of phenolic and flavonoid content as well as good free radical scavenger along with having good antimicrobial potential and new antibiotics.

Keywords: Picea Smithiana, Himalaya Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Phenols, Flavonoids.