Antimicrobial potential and phytochemical profiling of ethnomedicinal plant Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don in Western Himalaya

The ethnomedicinal plant extract of Trillium govanianum was assessed for its antimicrobial activity and for the presence of phytochemicals to provide scientific support for its ethnomedicinal use. Ethanolic rhizome extract of the plant was used for the antibacterial study and displayed a maximum inhibition zone against a standard isolate of K. pneumoniae (16.66 ± 0.57) followed by an inhibition zone against clinical isolate of K.pneumoniae (16.33 ± 0.57) at 200 μg/disc. The antimicrobial activity of plant rhizome extract was observed against five pathogenic microbial strains, with both standard strains and clinical isolates viz. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Standard analysis of phytochemicals in the plant showed the presence of flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, reducing sugars and saponins, however, tannins were found to be absent. In GC–MS profiling the plant rhizome extract showed the presence of important compounds possessing antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. DPPH and FRAP assays showed optimum antioxidant potential of the plant. Antimicrobial and phytochemical investigation of the plant rhizome extract revealed therapeutic potential of Trillium govanianum, thus scientifically supporting its ethnomedicinal use.