Antibacterial Evaluation, Phytochemical Screening and Ascorbic Acid Assay of Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

The ethanolic extract of Turmeric Curcuma longa was subjected to microbial susceptibility test using the agar well diffusion method The extract was found to be active against the bacteria used as it inhibited all the organisms with the highest inhibition zone of mm recorded against Shigella flexnerri and the least inhibition of mm recorded against Staphylococcus epidermis Minimum Inhibitory Concentration MIC values range from mg ml to mg ml Shigella flexnerri gave MIC of mg ml S aureus and K Pneumonia mg ml E coli mg ml S epidermis Lactobacillus and P aeruginosa mg ml and V cholera and S typhi mg ml respectively Secondary metabolites were also screened using phytochemistry Fourteen secondary metabolites were screened from the ethanolic extract The presence of these phytochemicals like tannins alkaloids phenols steroids flavonoids phlobatannin cardiac glycosides terpenoids triterpenes saponin etc is indicative of the antimicrobial activity of Turmeric The extract was found to contain mg ml ascorbic acid which is relatively comparable to many fruits recommended by dieticians The value of curcumin present Rf value is also relatively close to that of pure curcumin The results so far obtained are indicative of the good medicinal value of Turmeric in both pharmaceutical and pharmacological formulations