BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS

Abstract

Cytotoxic, antioxidant, tyrosinase inhibitory, antimicrobial activities of the crude ethanol extract of dry powdered roots of Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae) were investigated. The LC50 to brine shrimp was 2189.49 μg/ml; the EC50 for DPPH radical scavenging was 381.91 μg/ml; the IC50 for tyrosinase inhibition was 7.98 mg/ml. The extract was active at 5-20 mg/ml against various pathogenic microbial (16 species, 18 strains) using the agar dilution assay, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between 10-20 mg/ml for enteropathogens, the MIC between 5-20 mg/ml for dermatopathogens, and MIC = 10 mg/ml for a pneumonia causing bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. TLC and HPLC finger printing showed the presence of steroidsterpenes, alkaloids and flavonoids