Evaluation of Fatty Acid Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Eight Medicinal Plants from Kashmir

Abstract

The seeds of Abrus precatorius Linn., Amaranthus virdis Linn., Bunium persicum Boiss., Dioscorea deltoidea Wall. Ex Griseb., Malva neglecta Wall., Podophylum hexandrum Royle., Robina pseudoacacia Linn. and Teraxacum officinale Weber were used for fatty acid composition and antimicrobial activity. By GC-MS analysis, the petroleum extracts of seed were rich in oleic acid with 60.2\%, 58.9\% and 57.5\% for A. precatorius, A. virdis and P hexandrum respectively. Linoleic acid was dominant in M. neglecta 57.4\%, T officinale 59.0\% and R. pseudoacacia 45.6\% and petroselinic acid in B. persicum 64.0\%. The detailed seed extracts showed strong inhibition zones in (mm) against fungus Aspergillus niger (14.50-19.53 with nystatin 20.36), Aspergillus fumigates (18.03-21.06 with nystatin 25.56) and Penicellium marneffei (20.97-24.96 with nystatin 28.50) and strongest MIC values (mu g/ml) of 150, 250 and 500 against bacteria Esxherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study exhibited beneficial properties of these plants in food and pharmaceutical industries.