Phytochemical profiling of the Methanolic root extract of Lavatera` cashmeriana using GC- MS and Evaluation of its Potential Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

Medicinal plants found worldwide are vast repositories of diverse bioactive phytoconstituents that owe their broad range of medicinal applicability in the treatment, prevention, and diagnostics of diseases. Researchers in the past have successfully tried and are determined in the extraction and purification of phytocompounds which are active agents in treating various alarming to simple diseases and serve as lead compounds in the manufacturing or formulation of novel drugs. The present aim of the research was to conduct the GC-MS analysis of the methanolic root extract of the medically significant plant Lavatera cashmeriana. Through this research analysis, arctigenin is a new compound identified to be present in Lavatera cashmeriana, which was earlier reported and considered to be present in some plant families (Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae and Oleaceae). Meanwhile, the present research was further aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial properties of root extract of this plant on some pathogenic micro-organisms like Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The results obtained revealed significant antimicrobial activity of the plant's root extract.