Screening for medicinal properties in some of the commonly found varieties of Canna indica in Malaysia
S.N.A Wafa Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Abstract:
Canna Indica is commonly found in Malaysia and most parts of the world. They serve as beautiful ornamental plants in gardens and landscaping areas. Despite being appreciated for its bright and colorful flowers, this plant is underutilized or underexploited. In traditional medicine, selected rhizomes of C. indica is known to have antiseptic and antioxidant properties that could help cure diseases but limited scientific research conducted to prove it. The present study aims to address this limitation by providing scientific evidences of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties distributed among the many varieties of C. indica found in Malaysia. Extracts of flowers, stems, leaves, rhizomes and roots from five different varieties of C. indica were tested for its antibacterial and antifungal properties using ten commonly found microorganisms such as E. coli, Pseudominas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus. Agar well diffusion bioassays were performed and bioactivity of extracts was observed by measuring the diameter of inhibiton zone (DIZ) for each different extract and microorganism used. As for antioxidant properties, extracts’ free radical scavenging activity was evaluated against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The ascorbic acid, carotenoids and total phenolic contents with antioxidant activities were also determined.
Keywords: Antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, canna, Malaysia
