SEPARATION OF ACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM CURCUMA CAESIA ROXB. AND CURCUMA AROMATICA SALISB. OF ASSAM, INDIA BY TLC- BIO AUTOGRAPHY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ASSAY OF SEPARATED EXTRACTS

Abstract

Curcuma caesia Roxb. and Curcuma aromatica Salisb. are two widely used ethnomedicinal plants under the genus Curcuma of Zingiberaceae. These plants have wide application in the preparation of traditional medicines by different ethnic communities. In the present study attempt has been made to separation of the rhizome extracts of Curcuma caesia and Curcuma aromatica by TLC and bio autography of separated extracts in order to isolate the most active fraction of the crude extracts. TLC was performed with Ethyl acetate crude extracts of rhizome of both plants. Fractions were isolated from TLC plate and allowed for contact bio autography. Re-chromatography of active bands was carried out. The process is repeated for several times in order to separate the most active fraction, resulting isolation of two most active bands for both the plants which possess highest antibacterial activity. The result clearly indicates the presence of biologically active fraction in the rhizomes of these plants and validates their ethnomedicinal claims.