Authors : Seema Somalwar, Amita R. Somalwar
Page Nos : 46-51
Description :
Acne vulgaris is one of the most commonly encountered skin affliction that is prevalent in all teenagers and adults. It is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder of pilosebaceous unit which involves excess sebum production and modified lipid composition, skin duct blockage and colonization by Propionibacterium acnes bacteria which in turn, induces inflammation. Currently various therapeutic anti-acne drugs are available in market like, benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid, retinoids and antibiotics to treat the microbial infection for moderate to severe cases. Within the light of the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and adverse effects of synthetic cosmeceuticals, natural plant products are considered as a safer alternative. Tinospora cordifolia is an important herb of tropical India in Ayurvedic system of medicines. Hence, we conducted an in vitro antimicrobial activity of aerial stem extract of T. cordifolia against Propionibacterium acne using broth dilution method. The results obtained were compared against standard antibiotic tetracyclin. A preliminary phytochemical screening was also performed for qualitative determination of the phytoconstituents. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of stem extract of Tinospora cordifolia that inhibited the growth of P. acne was found to be at 0.7 %. In the present study, the findings suggest that incorporation of stem extract of Tinospora cordifolia as an antimicrobial agent could be a potential treatment used for acne management.
