Phytochemical Investigation of the Medicinal Plant Acacia ferruginea Search for Anti Quorum Sensing Agents Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants has gained widespread global recognition due to their long-standing traditional use and cultural acceptance, which has led to their safety and efficacy being validated. In the context of antimicrobial research, various plant sources have been discovered with the potential to disrupt bacterial quorum sensing (QS), which plays a key role in the regulation of virulence in many Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Although development of multi drug resistance is a natural phenomenon, its huge rise in recent years has become a major threat to the mankind especially among in the immuno- compromised individuals. Hence, the identification and evaluation of new antimicrobials with alternate strategy is much warranted. newlineThe rationale behind this study is the need to alleviate the effect of multi drug resistance by adopting alternate strategy of quorum sensing using medicinal plants and their constituent molecules as potential quorum sensing inhibitors. newlineThe medicinal plant Acacia ferruginea has a rich history of being used for its medicinal properties and is widely believed to have numerous therapeutic benefits. Research work was aimed at phytochemical and physico chemical investigation and quorum sensing inhibition studies on the plant extracts and related in silico validation studies. newlinePhase I deals with a thorough phytochemical profiling of the plant. The data obtained has been documented as a ready reckoner document sheet to aid herbal manufacturers in preparing standardized extracts of this plant. newlineIn phase II, the chemical investigation of the stem bark and leaves of Acacia ferruginea was done. The hexane extract of stem bark and leaves of Acacia ferruginea was subjected to preparative thin layer chromatographic separation and leaf hexane extract was subjected to cyclographaided radial separation. The hydroethanolic extract of leaves of Acacia ferruginea was analysed by column chromatography for separation of constituents.