PHYTOCHEMICAL, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL OF EXTRACTS OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS (CHICORY)

Harjot Pal Kaur*, Inderjeet Singh and Nitee Singh

ABSTRACT

The Kasni, Cichorium intybus (C. intybus) is well known traditional herb included in many systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Keeping in view its medicinal value phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial analysis of extracts of leaves and roots of C. intybus was carried out. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of diterpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins, amino acids, saponins, phenols, phytosterols and tannins in the extracts but glycosides, cardiac glycosides and carbohydrates were absent. Antioxidants were determined by total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Methanol extracts of leaves and roots exhibited maximum phenolic content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity followed by chloroform extracts and aqueous extracts of leaves and roots. As the concentration of extracts increases from 10μg/ml to 100μg/ml the scavenging effect also increases for all the extracts. The antibacterial activity against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and P. aeruginosa shows that methanol and chloroform extracts of leaves and roots had significant antibacterial activity with maximum zone of inhibition against E. coli. But aqueous extracts of leaves and roots exhibited highest antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. It is concluded from the results that C. intybus has potential source of natural antioxidants and can be used for the treatment of diseases caused by the test organisms. Due to good phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial composition, C. intybus would be valuable candidate in pharmaceutical formulations and play an important role in improving the human, livestock and poultry health by participating in the antioxidant defence system against endogenous free radicals and disease causing bacteria.

Keywords: Alkaloids, Antibacterial, Free radicals, Hexane, Phenolic content.