Ferula asafoetida, a native species of Iran and Pakistan has a broad spectrum antimicrobial property in addition to its household use. It has been used as an analgesic agent from the time of Charak Samhita. In the present study we used two kind of F. assafoetida (red and white) gum to screen their antimicrobial activity against five different bacterial strains. Extracts of both types of assafoetida were prepared in organic and inorganic solvents. Nonpolar extracts were found to have significantly higher antimicrobial activity than its nonpolar counterparts. Highest antibacterial activity was shown by hexane extract against Shigella flexineri and S. aureus was found to be least affected by these extracts. However, extracts of both red and white forms showed comparable antibacterial activities , so it may have same chemical composition. The difference in their antibacterial spectra might be due to some other secondary métabolites that are soluble in organic solvent contributing varying antimicrobial property.
Key words: Keywords:Ferula, antimicrobial, analgesics, secondary metabolites
|
