i EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF NIGELLA SATIVA AND CAPSICUM FRUTESCENS L.

Abstract

Global burden of infectious diseases is on rise and there is a need to overwhelm them via environment friendly solutions. Number of antibiotics and vaccines are made by the scientist to protect human population. These antibiotics and vaccines have number of positive effects but unfortunately, they also cause number of long-term negative effects to human race by making the bacteria antibiotic-resistant, which is much harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria. Nature also plays its role by providing resources that may fight against disease-causing bacterial species. Plethora of plants have antimicrobial effects that can fight against various disease-causing microbes like; bacteria, viruses, and various fungi species. These microbes cause Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Diarrhea, Pneumonia and various human infections. Nature blessed antimicrobial materials have Thymoquinone, P-cymene, Pinene, Alkaloid, Limonene, Camphene and Melanin that disrupt cell membrane of microbes, inhibit cellular division and inhibit the formation of biofilm in bacterial species thus reducing the number of microbes. Nature blessed antimicrobials are not only available at a very low cost but also do not require any laborious techniques for their preparation against disease-causing microbes. In Pakistan 75 and 82.35% of married women are infected due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella species respectively. This study augmented the effectiveness of Nigella sativa and Capsicum frutescens L. against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella specie by agar disc diffusion method. For the Pseudomonas aeruginosa observed zone of inhibition was 30mm and 25mm by 5g/20ml Capsicum frutescens L. and Nigella sativa, respectively for 10μL dilution. For Klebsiella specie no zone of inhibition was observed by Capsicum frutescens L. while 1mm zone of inhibition was observed by 7g/20ml Nigella sativa for 20μL dilution. Positive results of Nigella sativa and Capsicum frutescens L. were evaluated against both bacterial species streaked on single agar plate and by Nigella sativa 20mm zone of inhibition was observed while no zone of inhibition was observed by Capsicum frutescens L. FTIR analysis showed the presence of antimicrobial compounds in Nigella sativa and Capsicum Frutescens L. The obtained results indicated that Nigella sativa is effective against combine bacterial species. Thus, N. sativa may be used as an effective antimicrobial agent against selected bacterial infections. Keywords: Nigella sativa, Capsicum frutescens L., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, Antimicrobial activity, Disc diffusion method, FTIR, Meta-analysis.