Phytochemical Profiling and Antibacterial Potential of Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Root Extract

Abstract

Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis is a medicinal plant that is used to treat respiratory and infectious diseases. The study was conducted to study the phytochemical and antibacterial activities of root extract of P. thyrsiformis. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides and phenolic compounds. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of functional groups of various bioactive secondary metabolites. The extract was tested for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli by agar well diffusion method. The extract concentration showed antibacterial activity with zones of inhibition of 15, 23 and 25 mm at 50, 100 and 200 mg/ml respectively. The highest concentration showed antibacterial effect comparable to ciprofloxacin (24mm). These findings confirm the roots of P. thyrsiformis as a source of antibacterial agents and support their potential use in the development of plant-based therapeutics against bacterial infections.