Abstract:
Increasing number of microbes is developing resistance to synthetic antibiotics which hinders combating infective health conditions. Assessing antimicrobial properties of naturally occurring Pimpinella anisum may help in the search for newer and less expensive antibiotics. Antibacterial effects of ethanol, methanol extracts taken of second, fifth and seventh days, along with aqueous extracts of aniseed were observed on selected bacteria. Extracts of different days had variable effects on the three bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumonae) showed positive antibacterial effect of aniseed. The methanol extract from the fifth day showed the greatest positive result against Bacillus cereus. The activity index of methanol extract of day five was the highest against Bacillus subtilis indicating high sensitivity to the extract. Phytochemicals such as tannin, saponin, terpenoid, flavonoid, cardiac glycoside, alkaloid, phenolic compounds and steroids were present in the aqueous extract of aniseed. Variation in the solubility of these phytochemicals in different solvents may have an effect leading to the difference in antibacterial action. It is expected that the findings of this study will stimulate researchers to design clinical trials that may lead to the development of less expensive antimicrobial agents.
