SCREENING OF SOLVENT EXTRACTS OF VALERIANA JATAMANSI FOR ISOLATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL COMPOUND

In the present study, the hydro-alcoholic and hexane extracts of the plant, Valeriana jatamansi (Family: Valerianaceae) were screened for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and drug resistant strains.  The non polar extracts did not showed any activity against any of the pathogenic strains. Amongst these extracts the hydro-alcoholic extracts of the plant, Valeriana jatamansi, showed potent antimicrobial activity against almost all the pathogens studied. These extracts also showed potent antibacterial activity against multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the ranges from 0.3 mg/ml to 0.7 mg/ml. The potent hydro-alcoholic extract was further subjected for isolation and characterization of potent antimicrobial compound via chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The pure compound isolated, Valerenic acid was obtained as colorless liquid with a penetrating aroma; slightly soluble in water, soluble in alcohol, and ether. It melts at -34 ⁰C and boils at 186 ⁰C. The compound showed R_f value 0.37 similar to that of the standard compound, Valerenic acid as detected by TLC. The retention time of the pure compound purified was found to be 4.300 minutes as compared to the Standard reference compound, Valerenic acid which showed its retention time 4.393 minutes while eluting out through the column as determined by HPLC. The active compound was further subjected to FT-IR analysis which confirmed the TLC and HPLC data.