Estimation of Alkaloids and Antibacterial Activity of Aconitum spicatum Bruhl Stapf from Manaslu Conservation Area

Abstract

Aconitum spicatum is one of the deadly poisonous and highly valued medicinal plant. It is a national prioritized herb among 30 national priority herbs listed by the government of Nepal for their development, research and cultivation. The acute toxicity of the extract of this plant appeared to be directly related to the alkaloid content. The amount of total alkaloid of A. spicatum collected from Manaslu conservation area was calculated to be 1.7% by spectrophotometric method based on Dragendorff’s reagent. In-vitro evaluation of the crude extract of plant rhizomes using agar well diffusion assay against eight bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Schigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumonia, displayed potential antibacterial activity. The diethyl ether fraction was the most effective against all pathogenic microbes with minimum bacterial concentration value 3.125-6.25 mg/ml.

Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 13, No. 1 (2012) 67-71

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v13i1.7443