IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF STEM EXTRACTS OF FRESH AND DRY TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA (WILLD) HOOK. F & THOMS

Abstract

Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi) is a widely used plant in folk and Ayurvedic systems of medicine. It is widely used as rasayana to improve body resistance against infections and is known to possess anti oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-hyperglycemic, anti allergic and anti inflammatory activities. Guduchi is one among the drugs which are advised to use only in fresh form for medicine preparation according to Sharngadhara Samhitha, an Ayurvedic textbook. The changes that can occur in the pharmacological efficacy of the drug according to the basic state are unknown. The antibacterial activity of the alcohol, kashaya extracts of the fresh and dry stems of Tinospora cordifolia and Guduchi sattva were studied using well diffusion method against Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) and Escherichia coli. The Kashaya prepared using fresh Guduchi stem and Guduchi sattva showed significant bactericidal action which indicates the high antimicrobial potential of the drug when used in the fresh form.