Screening of an ethnomedicinal plant Erythrina indica Lam. for their antimicrobial, antioxidant and phytochemical properties against ear pathogens

A significant use of plants and their products as herbal medicine is the traditionally important mode of treatment all over the world. The present work is aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Erythrina indica leaves extracts. The crude extract of Erythrina indica leaves was evaluated for antimicrobial, antioxidant and phytochemical analysis against ear pathogens. E. indica crude extracts showed moderate antimicrobial activities. The Minimum inhibitory concentration 3.12 mg/ml of methanol extract was found effective against S. epidermidis and H. influenzae. The fungitoxic effects of the methanol extract on the mycelial growth of test fungi was determined which is found above 600 μg/ml. Antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Erythrina indica leaves was found lower than ascorbic acid by DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The phytochemical screening for MeOH extract of E. indica revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, steroids and tannins. This study supports the use of Erythrina indica in herbal medicine and as a base for the development of new drugs and phytomedicine in rationale for its use in treatment of ear diseases.