Studies on Biological Activity of Aqueous Extract of Alternanthera sessilis (Linn) for Developing Potential Herbal Drug Formulation of Ocular Diseases

Abstract

Eye infection is caused by exposures to bacterial, fungal, viral and other microbial agents. Bacterial conjunctivitis is a common type of pink eye, caused by bacteria that infect the eye through various sources of contamination. The eye has several natural mechanisms to defend itself against infection or trauma. Medicinal plants frequently used as raw materials for extraction of active ingredients which is used in the synthesis of different drugs. Alternanthera sessilis (Linn) samples were collected from Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu, India. 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of stem extract showed better action than leaf extract. Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) radical scavenging activity of leaf extract showed better action than stem extract. Antibacterial activity was screened for ocular disease-causing pathogens. The maximum zone of inhibition is found in Bacillus subtilis and lowest inhibition in Streptococcus mutans in leaf and stem extracts. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of leaf and stem extracts of Alternanthera sessilis (Linn) showed different concentrations with varying ocular pathogens. The Rabbit corneal cell line (SIRC) shows that there is no toxicity occurring in Normal cell line which clearly indicates that the MTT assay on Ocular cell line will inhibit the cytotoxic nature of the pathogen causing ocular diseases. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC - MS) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis showed the presence of various compounds and functional group in the leaf and stem aqueous extract of Alternanthera sessilis (Linn).