Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial potential of the flower extracts of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L., Moringa oleifera Lam. and Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don
Shalini Sehgal1*, Roshanlal Yadav1, Manu Kumar1, Hephzibah Saji1 and Aparajita Sen2
1Department of Food Technology, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi -110075 (India) 2Department of Microbiology, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi-110016 (India)
ABSTRACT
The use of preservatives is an essential part of food industry as majority of the food comes with a limited shelf life naturally . In the last few years, there is a trend to explore the antimicrobial properties of plants to control the spoilage and harmful pathogenic bacteria present in food. The reason is not only the limited use of chemical preservatives but also growing concerns about the toxicological ,health and environmental issues. This study explores the potential use of theplant extracts due to their inherent antimicrobial properties as natural preservatives. The flower extracts some commonly growing plant species of Hibiscus rosa sinensis, Moringa oleifera and Catharanthus roseus were phytochemically profiled and their antimicrobial ability against four major bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 9003), Escherichia coli (MTCC10312), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 104) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 106) was studied. Phytochemical profiling revealed phlobatannins as the major constituent of the flower extracts, and effective antimicrobial activity was observed as indicated by the zones of inhibition.