Phytochemical screening and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Desmostachya bipinnata roots

This study was conducted for preliminary phytochemical study of different extracts and to study antimicrobial effects of methanolic extract of Desmostachya bipinnata roots. Desmostachya bipinnata Stapf is an official drug of ayurvedic pharmacopoeia, belongs to the family of Poaceae/Gramineae. Phytochemical screening was done to identify the main groups of chemical constituents present in different extract of Desmostachya bipinnata by their colour reactions with different reagents. Four extracts viz: Petroleum, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanolic, were subjected for carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, saponins, proteins and amino acids using a test procedure. Preliminary antimicrobial test of D. bipinnata extract was carried out by well diffusion method. The extract was subjected for antimicrobial screening using reference standard, Gentamicin (10μg). The antimicrobial screening of the plant extract revealed the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive microorganism) and Escherichia coli (Gram negative microorganism).