Asian Journal of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Trapa natans L.; (water chestnut) is an aquatic plant. The whole plant has various medicinal values but it is less known. The purpose of the study was carried out to reveal phytochemicals and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the whole plant Trapa natans. The whole plants were shade  dried and powdered. The solvents used to extract were ethanol, methanol, aqueous, chloroform and hexane. The extracts were tested for the antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion method. The bacterial strains used were Straphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus salivarius, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutans, Klebsilla pneumonia, E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Proteus mirabilis. The strains used for fungal activity were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum, Rhizopus stolonifer and Candida albicans.

Antimicrobial activities of the extract were determined by zone of inhibition by using the disc diffusion method. Maximum antibacterial activity was obtained in ethanol and methanol extract. Hexane and aqueous showed least activity in gram positive strain and did not show any activity in gram negative strain. Antifungal activity showed maximum zone in Candida albicans in methanol extract. Hexane and aqueous extract did not show any activity. The present investigation on the plant Trapa natans has revealed that the ethanol and methanol showed maximum antimicrobial activity.