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8328875 
Journal Article 
Leaf extract of Centratherum punctatum exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti proliferative properties 
Pawar, NK; Arumugam, N 
2011 
4 
3 
71-76 
English 
Centratherum punctatum, the Brazilian button flower, is very closely related to its counterpart C. anthelmethicum - a plant known for its high medicinal value. To validate if C. punctatum would also be of any such value, the leaf extract of the plant was evaluated for anti-microbial, antioxidant, human cell toxicity properties and analyzed for the presence of phytochemical constituents. Powdered leaf of the plant was extracted with different organic solvents and tested for anti-microbial activity by the agar well-diffusion method. The antioxidant activity was analyzed by Ascorbic acid method. The toxicity of the extract was tested by the MTT assay using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Extracts were then subjected to bioautography and the phyto-chemical constituents isolated and tested for antimicrobial activity. TLC fractions that tested positive for anti-microbial activity were partially characterized for functional group identification by KBr method using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Acetone, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of leaf showed inhibitory activity against four out of five pathogenic bacteria including the multi drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumanii and Staphylococcus aureus tested. Anti-fungal activity was exhibited by acetone and ethyl acetate extracts. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins and cardiac glycosides, of which flavonoids showed antibacterial activity. The IC50 value for the acetone extract was found to be 10.63 μg/ml. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of alkene, alkane, aliphatic amine and aromatic functional groups among others. We conclude that the present study adds credence to the ethno-medicinal properties of C. punctatum. Further characterization of phytochemical compounds from this prolific herb may yield potential antimicrobial agents. 
Acinetobacter baumanii; Antioxidant; Cardiac glycosides; Centratherum punctatum; Flavanoids; Multi drug resistance; Staphylococcus aureus; Tannins