Abstract

Farah Farahani*, Mohsen Zargar and Tahereh Nabavi

Antibacterial therapeutic failure due to emergence of resistant bacterial strain is a world wide phenomenon. The search for effective antibacterial substances from sources such as plants has become a necessity to overcome emergent of bacterial resistant in clinical practice. Catharanthus roseus L. belongs to the family Apocynaceae, is an erector procumbent herb or under shrub containing latex. It possesses known anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic, anticancer and antiviral activities. In the present study we carried out the screening of this plant for its antibacterial potential adopting the antibacterial assay. The in vitro hairy roots and the hairy roots from transgenic of C. roseus were used and extracts were subjected to anti-bacterial assay. The alkaloids hairy roots of transgenic of C. roseus exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermis, Staphylococcus saprofiticous, Micrococcus roseous, Micrococcus luteous and Bacillus subtilis. Moreover, the alkaloids hairy roots of transgenic of C. roseous were also ineffective against Bacillus licheniformis. The alkaloid of hairy root of transgenic plants was more effective than the In vitro hairy roots (non-transgenic), which exhibited broad-spectrum anti-bacterial activity against bacteria with the zone of inhibitions measuring between 17-10 mm. The alkaloid of nontransgenic plants exhibited anti-bacterial activity against bacteria with the zone of inhibition ranging between 14-8 mm. The study implicates that bio-active compound(s) of C. roseus could potentially be exploited as antibacterial agents.