Dhananjay Pandey, Renu Tripathi and AK Gupta

The present research prospects deals with the assessment of antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of Dioscorea alata (Family: Dioscoreaceae) from Bastar district of Chhattisgarh against eight pathogenic bacteria viz., Bacillus cereus (MTCC 430), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 441), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96), Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 435), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1687), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 3384), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 741), Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 744) and two fungi viz., Aspergillus niger (MTCC 872) and Candida albicans (MTCC 183) procured from IMTECH, Chandigarh. Different plant parts like root, stem and leaf were extracted successively in soxhlet apparatus using four different solvents from non-polar to polar viz., chloroform, acetone, methanol and aqueous based on their polarity index. The antimicrobial activity was assessed by agar well diffusion method. The antibacterial potentiality of D. alata revealed that acetone root extract exhibited highest activity against B. cereus. In case of Gram-negative bacteria the extract exhibited maximum activity against P. aeruginosa. The acetone stem extract showed comparatively less activity. However, the acetone leaf extract exhibited comparatively less activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The evaluation of antifungal activity revealed that methanol root extract was effective against A. niger and C. albicans. The highest activity index was recorded with methanol root extract for A. niger and C. albicans. The phytochemical analysis of D. alata showed that percentage yield of root was highest in aqueous followed by methanol, chloroform and acetone. In stem the yield was maximum in aqueous followed by methanol, chloroform and acetone. In leaf the yield was more in chloroform followed by aqueous, methanol and acetone. Alkaloids were present in aqueous root and stem extracts. The flavonoids were present in all the extracts except chloroform. Phytosterols gave a positive reaction for all the extracts more so with methanol and acetone extracts. Tannins were detected in root and stem extracts of aqueous, methanol and acetone. Saponins were present in all the extracts except chloroform. Resins gave strong positive test in chloroform and acetone root extracts. The glycosides were feebly recorded in methanol stem, acetone and aqueous root extracts. The quantitative estimation of alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin and total phenol in root, stem and leaf of D. alata showed that root sample contains highest amount of saponin followed by total phenol, flavonoid and alkaloid. The content was highest in root followed by stem and leaf of D. alata. Therefore, in light of present context an effort to further explore the medicinal or natural products towards improving health care delivery deserves attention.

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