Antimicrobial Potential of Single Metabolites of Curcuma longa Assessed in the Total Extract by Thin-Layer Chromatography-Based Bioautography and Image Analysis

Abstract

Curcuma longa from Zingiberaceae belongs to the major spices consumed around the world, known from its cholagogue, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Lack of data on the activity of single components of turmeric extract encouraged the authors to apply TLC (thin-layer chromatography) based bioautography studies to reveal its antimicrobial constituents and construct a universal platform for the bioactivity assessment of crude extracts, with help of a freeware ImageJ software. This optimized chromatographic bioassay performed on diethyl ether and methanol extracts of Curcuma longa was successfully applied on the total extract and revealed the antimicrobial potential of single components against a variety of Gram-positive strains, with no need for their isolation from the mixture. The obtained results were further confronted with a classic microdilution antimicrobial assay on the isolates, purified from the crude extracts by centrifugal partition chromatography in the following solvent system: heptane-chloroform-methanol-water (5:6:3:2) (v/v/v/v).

Biomedical Effects of Popular Phytonutrients and Their Phytochemicals: A Comprehensive Review

“…However, there was more prominent growth inhibition on the gram-positive bacteria than on the gram-negative [76]. Another study performed by Czernicka, and colleagues elucidated the antimicrobial potential of turmeric extract against several Gram-positive strains (one strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis and two strains of Bacillus subtilis), revealing that the different fractions of this extract can inhibit bacterial growth [37]. In the same way, Shakeri et.…”

“…Turmeric's therapeutic properties may include a wide variety of conditions found in the literature, where most of them come from the bioactive compounds in its rhizome. For years different research groups have shown that turmeric is extraordinarily rich in valuables phytochemicals with pharmacological properties including polyphenols (e.g., curcuminoids), terpenes (e.g., ar-, α-and β-turmerone, α-zingiber, and β-sesquiphellandrene), flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, tannins, and steroids [36][37][38]. The principal curcuminoids are curcumin and its derivatives demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin [32,39,40].…”

An Evolving Technology That Integrates Classical Methods with Continuous Technological Developments: Thin-Layer Chromatography Bioautography

“…In addition to the frontier technology discussed above, broadening the application scope of TLC bioautography is, to date, the most important destination that needs to be reached. Apart from the described methods for the identification and composition screening of herbal medicines and finding new potential drugs for the treatment of serious human diseases (i.e., antibacterial components in turmeric, Ocimum sanctum and Zingiber officinale and free radical scavenger in Piper betle leaves and Salvia verticillata L.) [43,[106][107][108]. TLC bioautography has a potential in other fields, such as environmental sciences (i.e., olive processing wastewaters) [109] and agriculture (i.e., pathogens related to apple ring rot disease and multiple antibiotic residues in cow's milk) [19,34].…”

“…It has applications in a wide range of fields. Czernicka et al used mass spectrometry combined with liquid chromatography (LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) to research the qualitative and quantitative composition of obtained extracts, and the compounds were determined in two extracts according to the fragmentation pattern and existing scientific literature [ 43 ]. Recently, an ESI-based TLC-MS approach, named TLC-electrostatic field induced spray ionization (EFISI)-MS has been developed.…”

Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Polyherbal Formulation Used in Chronic Wound Healing

“…Furthermore, the JT - Hex extracts were rich in ar-turmerone, a -turmerone, and ß -turmerone, which are the major compounds in the essential oils of turmeric from Curcuma longa . Several studies have demonstrated that turmeric essential oils possessed potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria such as S.aureus, E.coli , P.aeruginosa , and B.subtilis [ 43 – 45 ]. Other phytoconstituents in JT extracts, such as squalene from Cynodon dactylon, phytol from Erythrina variegate and Azadirachta indica , and stigmasterol derived from Pongamia pinata may also contribute to the biological effects of the JT extracts.…”