HARNESSING JUSTICIA BETONICA L. FOR HEALTH: ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITIES ACROSS DIFFERENT PLANT PARTS

Jyothsna Lakshman L; Srinivasulu B; Ramesh M

doi:10.46796/ijpc.v7i2.929

Jyothsna Lakshman L Research Scholar, Dept. of Biotechnology, JNTU Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Srinivasulu B Registrar, Kaveri University, Siddipet, Telangana, India
Ramesh M Professor and Head, Dept. of Biotechnology, JNTU Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India

DOI https://doi.org/10.46796/ijpc.v7i2.929

Abstract

The growing incidence of antimicrobial resistance and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, has led to an urgent search for novel therapeutic agents from plants. The objective of the present study was to explore the antimicrobial and antidiabetic potential of methanolic extracts of leaf, root and flower of Justicia betonica L., a plant with traditional medicinal use. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was determined against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi by the agar well diffusion method at five different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 mg/mL). The results showed significant dose dependent antimicrobial activity with highest inhibition zones of leaf extract especially on Aspergillus niger (28 mm) and Bacillus subtilis (20 mm) at 100 mg/mL. In vitro antidiabetic activity was evaluated for carbohydrate binding capacity, glucose diffusion inhibition and alpha-amylase inhibition assays. The highest positive correlation of the concentration of extract with adsorption of glucose and retardation of glucose diffusion was reported for the root extracts. However, leaf extract showed the highest α-amylase inhibitory activity (IC50= 51.54 mg/mL). The findings suggested that J. betonica could be a valuable source of natural products for managing microbial infections and hyperglycemia and further studies are needed to explore its medicinal or nutraceutical applications.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Antidiabetic activity, Methanolic extracts, Justicia betonica

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