A study on antibacterial property of curcuma longa – herbal and traditional medicine

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the antibacterial property of Curcuma longa. Human beings are dependent on the use of plants and herbs as a source of drugs for curing ailments since ancient times. Herbs are medicinal plants which are created by nature for curing human diseases. Ayurvedic Materia Medica is a rich repository of herbs and about 2000 plant species mentioned in Ayurveda are used to cure various diseases in human beings. In Veda and Atharvaveda, written around 2000 BC, there are a lot of medical references and prescriptions showing beneficial results in a cure for a number of human chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, jaundice, skin diseases, gout, tumors, encephalitis, and bronchitis. Most of the medicinal plants and herbs have been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and protective properties. The use of the traditional system of medicines in India and China such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha is around 5000 years old, which recommends management of lifestyle, including diet management, exercise, and meditation along with treatment, including specific herbs to cure several ailments. Curcuma longa a traditional herbal medicine is widely used in India since ancient times to cure several ailments.In the present study, antibacterial property of ethanolic extract, extracted from dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa was studied in microbiology laboratory against different bacterial strains. Materials and Methods: The dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa were purchased from local market in Punjab. The collected roots of Curcuma longa were washed, shade dried, grounded to fine powder and was subjected to soxhlet extraction using ethanol as solvent. Two bacterial strains were used in current study; one was Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The method to access antibacterial activity was Cylinder Plate method. Results: 50 gm. of dried powder was subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol solvent to get the extract of curcumin for investigation of antibacterial activity of turmeric against different Gram-positive and Gram negative bacterial strains using cylindrical plate method. A distinguished zones of inhibition 6.5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 11 mm in diameter were seen under plates containing different concentrations of Curcuma longa extract. Conclusion: The potentiality of extract of Curcuma longa to inhibit the growth of microbial strains indicates its broad-spectrum antibacterial property which can be used for the betterment of health of society to treat several infections. Turmeric and its constituents may be included in modern system of medicine for the development of new dosage forms to treat several diseases with natural herbs with lesser adverse effects in comparison to allopathic system of medicine and improve the health and wellness of our society.