Antimicrobial Efficacy of Boerhaavia Diffusa Against Some Human Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi

Shilpa Wagh* and N. N. Vidhale

Shri Shivaji Science College, Shivaji Nagar, Morshi Road, Amravati - 444 602 India.   Corresponding Author E-mail: deshchin07@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT: The occurrence of side effects after a long term use of synthetic drugs is always feared during the treatment of chronic diseases. Such possibilities are experienced to be of negligible extent in the case of herbal drugs and thus are more efficient to treat infectious diseases than synthetic antibiotics. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate, in a scientific base, the potential use of natural medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. In the present investigation decoction of roots of Boerhaavia diffusa was evaluated for its antimicrobial potential against nine different human pathogenic bacteria and five fungi by agar well diffusion method. In action Boerhaavia diffusa is antihelmintic, aphrodisiac, cardiac-stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, febrifuge and laxative, ophthalmic, stomachic in jaundice, strangury and tonic. It is useful in leucorrhoea, inflammation, asthma, constipation, cough and cold, dropsical swellings, eye and heart troubles, jaundice, tertial fever and gonorrhoea. Boerhaavia diffusa was found active against almost all Gram-negative bacteria tested including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella typhi, Enterobacter aerogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae, except Proteus vulgaris and therefore can serve as a broad spectrum antibacterial agent against Gram-negative bacteria. The only Gram-positive bacteria sensitive to this plant decoction was Enterococcus faecalis. In case of fungi only Candida glabrata was found highly sensitive. The results indicate that Boerhaavia diffusa has broad spectrum antimicrobial potential against antibiotic resistant microorganisms.

KEYWORDS: Antimicrobial; Ayurveda; Boerhaavia diffusa; decoction; herbal.

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