A Review on the Evaluation of Antimicrobial Properties of Crude Extracts and Bioactive Compounds Derived from Andrographis paniculata

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used as traditional medicines to cure several infectious diseases. Various plant extracts and bioactive compounds of medicinal plants have shown potential as antimicrobial agents against bacteria, fungi and viruses. Andrographis paniculata is one of the valuable medicinal plants that possess a variety of pharmacological properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of Andrographis paniculata as an antimicrobial agent based on data gathered from previous scientific studies. This study had focused on the efficacy of the Andrographis paniculata crude extracts and their bioactive compounds as an antimicrobial agent against selected pathogenic microbes. The efficacy of Andrographis paniculata as an antimicrobial agent was influenced by the type of solvent used for the extraction of crude extracts. The methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata leaves exhibited the most significant antibacterial activity against several bacterial species. Furthermore, several bioactive compounds isolated from Andrographis paniculata demonstrated a significant role in inhibiting microbial activity. A bioactive compound identified as andrographolide has been recognized as a potential antimicrobial agent that possesses a variety of inhibitory effects against selected pathogens. The current findings indicate that Andrographis paniculata has potent antimicrobial properties either as a plant crude extract or isolated as a bioactive compound.