Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Investigations of Petroleum ether Extract of Dracaena spicata

Abstract

Dracaena spicata has been used as a medicinal plant for the general promotion of health and longevity by Asian tribal. It is used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases like cough, syphilis, conjunctivitis, constipation, boils, eczema, scabies, septic abscess, itching and skin allergy, burns, chicken pox, warts and leucoderma, fungal and bacterial infections, including healing cuts and wounds has been documented by randomly interviewing Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga tribes of the hill tracts districts of Bangladesh since 1995. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic activity of petroleum ether extract of Dracaena spicata. The antimicrobial activities of petroleum ether solvent extract of Dracaena spicata plant were tested against the gram-positive (Bacillus sereus, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus aureaus) and gram-negative bacterial (Pseudomonas aureaus, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Vibrio mimicus, Sheigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli) strains by observing the zone of inhibition. The antimicrobial test was performed by disc diffusion method. The crude petroleum ether extract of Dracaena spicata plant showed strong (9mm-31mm) antimicrobial activities against the microorganisms .Petroleum ether extract of Dracaena spicata showed very good activity against Bacillus sereus (31 mm) and no activity was found against Bacillus megaterium , Vibrio parahemolyticus .The cytotoxic activity of the plant was done by using Artemia saline Leach. The LC50 was observed approximately as 31.9845 μg/mL with a R2 value of 0.86836., which revealed mild to moderate cytotoxic activity. In conclusion, further investigations are needed to identify the active constituents and the exact mechanism(s) of action responsible for the reported antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of Dracaena spicata.