Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of Justicia gendarussa Burm. F. Leaves

Abstract

The leaves of Justicia gendarussa are used in the folk medicine for the treatment of various ailments like rheumatic pain, jaundice, cephalgia, hemiplegia and eczema, etc. The leaves of the plant consists of important phytoconstituents including O-di-substituted aromatic amines, 2-aminobenzyl alcohol, O methyl ethers, friedelin, lupeol and β-sistosterol. In the present investigation, different solvent extracts of J. gendarussa leaves were screened and compared for membrane stability and antibacterial activities. Even at lower concentrations, methanolic extract of J. gendarussa shown good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. At higher concentrations, methanolic extracts gave relatively more projecting antibacterial activity when compared with gentamycin. The anti-inflammatory effects of the crude drug were compared with Diclofenac as positive control. The methanolic extracts of J. gendarussa leaves possessed a broad spectrum antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram positive organisms like Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96), Staphylococcus mutans (MTCC 497), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 441), Micrococcus luteus (MTCC 1538), gram negative organisms; Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 426), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Escherichia coli (MTCC 443) and Shigella flexneri (MTCC 1457) with a zone of inhibition from 7-12 mm. The extract also showed good membrane stability to be considered to have significant anti-inflammatory action.