DETERMINATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS OF CALENDULA OFFICINALIS FLOWERS

Abstract

Calendula officinalis Linn. (Asteraceae), a medicinal plant, is used in traditional medicine around the world and is the subject of several chemical and pharmacological studies. Chemical studies have detected various classes of compounds in its organs, primarily volatile oil, carotenoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, quinones, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, as well as other minor constituents. C. officinalis extract and pure compounds isolated from different organs possess multiple pharmacological activity, including anti-inflam-matory, antioedematous, antioxidant, immunostimulant, anticancer, lymphocyte and wound healing, hepatoprotective, antibacterial and antifungal, anti-HIV, spasmolytic and spasmogenic, genotoxic and antigenotoxic, inhibition of heart rate, antiviral, inter alia. In this review, we explore the phytochemical and pharmacological activity of C. officinalis while also covering aspects of its culture and cultiva-tion that would increase the production of its pharmacologically important compounds.