Técnicas Avançadas em Biologia e Medicina
Acesso livre
ISSN: 2379-1764
ISSN: 2379-1764
Jeyakumar Nelson, K Chairman, AJA Ranjit Singh,
Leptospirosis is most common bacterial zoonosis worldwide, caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira that are transmitted from animals to humans. To treat leptospirosis, traditional healers use phytoremedy. In the present study, a scientific study was made on the plants used by the traditional healers to cure liver problems with symptoms of leptospirosis. Methanolic and ethanolic extracts of four plants were screened for antiLeptospiral activity. Of the four plants, Adhatoda vasica extracts exhibited a good anti-Leptospiral activity. On treatment of Leptospira interrogans culture with leaf extracts of the plant Adhatoda vasica, the cellular architechure of lengthy spirochaete L. interrogans was severely damaged. An electron microscopic observation showed breaks at different locations in the lengthy cell, and inhibition of the development of inclusion body responsible for virulence. The minimum inhibitory concentration of extracts was observed to be 5 mg/ml. The antiLeptospiral effect of A.vasica was compared with that of penicillin, and it was found that the medicine used by traditional healers to cure liver disorders has very effective inhibition activity over the microbe responsible for Leptospirosis. Hence, an alternate phytotheraphy can be recommended and the bioactive compound present in leaves of A.vasica has to be identified.