Assessment of Bioactivity of Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.)

Abstract

Bioactivity of medicinal plants is due to presence of various kinds of primary and secondary metabolites. Among studied phytochemicals polyphenol was in higher quantity (16.7 ± 0.7 g/100g). Antipathogenic efficacy of C. tamala has been tested against, S. typhi (MTCC 3216), P. aeruginosa (MTCC 7837), S. aureus (MTCC 3160), P. mirabilis (MTCC 1249) and B. subtilis (MTCC 736) by agar diffusion method and broth dilution methodand all the strains were affected by methanolic and aqueous leaf extracts of C. tamala. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in agar diffusion method were 1.25mg-5mg and 2.5mg-5mg for methanolic and aqueous leaf extracts respectively. Complete inhibition was observed in broth dilution method at1.25mg/mL-9mg/mL and 1mg/mL-13mg/mL concentration of methanolic and aqueous extracts respectively. The leaf extracts did not show cytotoxic at 0.2mg.mL- 1mg/mL concentration of aqueous leaf extract but showed haemolysis at 1mg/mL concentration of metanolic leaf extract of C. tamala. C. tamala leaves showed high nutritional values (143.5 ± 0.5 Kcal/100g). The nutritional components like protein, fats, carbohydrates and edible fibres were 6 ± 0.5, 8.5 ± 1.8, 9.5 ± 0.5 and 30.5 ± 0.6 g/100g respectively. Therefore it can be concluded that leaf extract of C. tamala can be used safely against above mentioned human pathogens and for the preparation of new pharmaceutical drug.