Comparative Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Analysis of Datura stramonium L. Plant Extracts and Callus In vitro

The phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activities of in vitro grown callus and in D. stramonium plant were studied and compared. The crude extracts from D. stramonium were analysed for moisture, starch, carbohydrate, ascorbic acid, lipid, proline, crude protein, phenols, DNA, RNA, chlorophyll and carotenoid in plant parts and callus. The phytochemical content of naturally grown plant was comparatively higher than in vitro grown callus. The antimicrobial potential of the methanolic extracts of root, stem, leaves, fruits, callus and crude metabolite rich fractions were evaluated against Escherichia coli MTCC 1652, Staphylococus aureus MTCC 3160, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 847, Aspergillus flavus MTCC 2456, Aspergillus niger MTCC 282, Fusarium culmorum MTCC 349 and Rhizopus stolonifer MTCC 2591. The results indicated that methanolic leaf extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (IZ=18.2mm) and E. coli (IZ=19.8mm), P. aeruginosa (IZ=22.2mm), R. stolonifer (IZ=21.5mm), and callus exhibited antimicrobial activity against A. niger (IZ=12.1mm), F. culmorum (IZ=18.9mm) and A. flavus (IZ=12.8mm). The present study also revealed that antimicrobial activity was higher in naturally grown plant. In the metabolite rich fraction (flavonoids, phytosterols and alkaloids), greatest bactericidal and fungicidal activity was exhibited by flavonoids against P. aeruginosa (IZ=22.4mm) and A. flavus (IZ= 20.1mm).