ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF PIMPINELLA TIRUPATENSIS, BAL. & SUBR.: AN ENDEMIC PLANT TO TIRUMALA HILLS OF EASTERN GHATS, INDIA

摘要

Pimpinella tirupatensis Bal. & Subr. (Family Apiaceae; local name, Kondakothimera) is a rare and endemic medicinal plant and restricted to the Seshachalam hills of the Eastern Ghats, India (Balakrishnan and Subramanyam 1960, Nair and Sastry 1998). Thewhole plant of P. tirupatensis is used to treat cough, stomach, liver problems, asthma, ulcer and tooth ache (Reddy and Reddy 1998, Madhava Chetty et. al., 2008). This plant root extract is also used to treat skin disease (Bakshu and Venkata Raju 2002,Jeevan Ram et. al, 2004). The aim of the study is to investigate the antifungal activity of alcoholic extract of leaf, stem and tuber of Pimpinella tirupatensis Bal. & Subr. The leaf, stem and tuberous roots of Pimpinella tirupatensis (Apiaceae) were subjected extraction and tested against four fungal pathogenic strains for antifungal activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of active extracts against four strains A.niger, F. oxysporum, R. solani and S. rolfsi. were determined. The active extractscontained significant amounts of alkaloids, flavonols, flavones and volatile oils. Two important photochemical compounds Germacrene D (4.35%) & and a-Humulene (1.45.6%) are present in rich amount. Germacrene are a class of volatile organic hydrocarbons,specifically, sesquiterpenesy produced in certain plant species and they are known for their antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, though they also play a role as insect pheromones. P-Cymen is a volatile oil which found to have antioxidant property.