Abstract:
Background: Ricinus communis, Tribulus terrestis, Aegle marmelos, Aerva lanata, Solanum
melongena, Citrus japonica, and Solanum virginianum are the herbs used in the traditional
ayurvedic decoction known as ‘Eranda Sapthakaya’ which is being used to treat urinary tract
infection (UTIs), renal calculi, ankle oedema, heart failure, dysuria, loin pain, and backache. There
is a lack of published literature on this herbal medicine.
Objectives: To analyse the phytochemicals, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm
activity of the combined methanolic extract of this decoction
Methods: Seven dried plant powders were macerated in methanol, evaporated, and combined to
achieve 300 mg/mL concentration. The study analysed phytochemicals qualitatively and assessed
antimicrobial activity through well diffusion, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and
Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) tests. Gentamicin (10 mg/mL) and fluconazole (600
g/mL) were used as positive controls. Crystal violet assay was used to analyse the antibiofilm
activity, and the egg albumin denaturation assay was used to assess the anti-inflammatory effect.
Diclofenac (50 mg/mL) was the positive control used in anti-inflammatory study.
Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, and
glycosides in the extract. The methanolic extract inhibited Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) (16.7±1.3 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (22.7±0.9 mm) and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa (28.3±1.2 mm) but failed to inhibit Escherichia coli, Candida spp. and Klebsiella
pneumoniae at 300 mg/mL concentration, suggesting its traditional use in UTIs which may be due
to other therapeutic mechanisms. The MBC for S. aureus was 150 mg/mL and MIC was 75
mg/mL. The MBC for P. aeruginosa was 300 mg/mL and MIC was 150 mg/mL. The methanolic
extract showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect with a maximum denaturation inhibition of
94.6% at 300 mg/mL. About 14% of biofilm activity was noticed for S. aureus at 300 mg/mL,
however failed to inhibit biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa.
Conclusions: According to the findings, combination of methanolic extracts of seven medicinal
plants possesses anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can be further investigated
for novel antimicrobial compounds.
