Antimicrobial and Antimycobacterial properties of Solanum trilobatum L. - In-vitro

This study aims to investigate the traditional value of home-based medicinal plants, their importance in improving the immune system and their antimicrobial/antimycobacterial potential. This is based on the fact that traditionally indigenous plants are used to treat ailments but the constituents of the plants are largely unexplored. The aqueous extracts of some medicinal plants based on their ease of availability were screened against 2 common strains of microorganisms namely Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) using plate assay. Aqueous extract of S.trilobatum L., with significant inhibition properties against E.coli and M. smegmatis was taken further to bioactivity guided extraction. The extraction was done using solvents of increasing polarity. Subsequently, the extract with maximum activity was subjected to GC-MS to explore the presence of phytochemical (s). On screening with the extracts, it was seen that, the Petroleum ether extract showed significant bactericidal activity with an inhibition zone of 12 and 16mm in diameter for E.coli and M.smegmatis respectively. In the current study, it is demonstrated that the extracts of S.trilobatum L possess antimycobacterial activity. Our data draws attention towards S.trilobatum as a promising source of active biomolecules that can be included in diet and supports the fact that it is used as a traditional medicine.