Phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand extracts against wound causing pathogens
1N Hemashenpagam, 2S Selvajeyanthi and 3Jameela Safrin A M
1,3Department of Microbiology, Hindusthan College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore - 641028 India 2Department of Microbiology, Theeran Chinnamalai College of Arts and Science for Women, Tirupur - 641663 India *Corresponding author: drhemashenpagam@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Calotropis gigantea milkweed is a medicinal plant widely recognized for its therapeutic properties, particularly in traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of C. gigantea extracts from leaves and flowers against common wound pathogens. Skin pathogens were isolated from wound swab samples and the primary microbial contaminant was identified as Streptococcus pyogenes. Phytochemical screening of leaf and flower extracts was conducted using various solvents including ethanol, chloroform, petroleum ether and aqueous solutions revealing the presence of bioactive compounds such as phenols, glycosides, flavonoids and quinones. The antimicrobial activity of these extracts was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method where the ethanol extracts exhibited notable antibacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, a wound dressing was prepared by impregnating gauze with ethanolic extract to assess antibacterial performance. The findings suggest that C. gigantea extracts possess significant antibacterial properties that could support wound healing and serve as an alternative to conventional antimicrobials. This study underscores the potential of C. gigantea as a natural source of antimicrobial agents and emphasizes its relevance in the development of alternative therapeutic agents for skin infection and related diseases.