Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of leaf, stem, root and their callus extracts in Rauwolfia Serpentina

Phytochemical screening and Antimicrobial studies were carried out in a medicinally important plant species, Rauwolfia Serpentina. The aim of the present study was to screen leaf, stem and root extracts and their callus (NaCl stressed & unstressed) extracts of R. serpentina(24 months old) for the qualitative analysis of phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and gums and Mucilages and to study antibacterial and antifungal activities in these extracts. Phytochemical screening revealed that Alkaloids are major phytochemicals in leaf, stem and root extracts of R. serpentina (24 months old). In antimicrobial activity studies, maximum bacterial growth inhibition zone (25.0 ± 2.4 mm) was observed in methanolbased leaf extracts against Staphylococcus aureus and maximum fungal growth inhibition zone (22.0 ± 2.1 mm) was observed in Fusarium Oxysporum in methanol based root extracts. In NaCl stressed callus extracts both antibacterial and antifungal activities were observed but the results were not comparable to extracts of in vivo plant based leaf,