Antimicrobial Properties of Nelumbo nucifera from Unisel Lake
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistance, Antimicrobial activity, Escherichia coli, Nelumbo nucifera, Staphylococcus aureusAbstract
The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant global public health challenge and necessitates the exploration of alternative antimicrobial agents from natural sources. Although the antimicrobial properties of Nelumbo nucifera have been reported previously, comparative evaluations of different plant parts, particularly leaves, flowers, and stems, under standardized experimental conditions remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the antimicrobial activities of N. nucifera leaves, flowers, and stems against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), two common foodborne pathogens. Ethanolic extracts of the selected plant parts were prepared and evaluated using the disc diffusion method, followed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. The results demonstrated that all three plant parts exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, with leaf extracts producing the largest zone of inhibition (23.3 mm), followed by flower extracts (17.7 mm) and stem extracts (16.0 mm) at a concentration of 500 mg/mL. In contrast, none of the extracts showed inhibitory activity against E. coli. MIC and MBC analyses further confirmed that a concentration of 500 mg/mL was required to inhibit and eliminate the growth of S. aureus. The observed differences in antimicrobial susceptibility between the two bacterial species may be attributed to variations in cell wall structure, particularly the presence of an outer lipopolysaccharide membrane in Gram-negative bacteria, which can limit the penetration of plant-derived bioactive compounds. These findings highlight the potential of N. nucifera, particularly its leaves, as a promising source of plant-based antimicrobial agents against Gram-positive bacteria. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on medicinal plants as sustainable alternatives for combating antibiotic resistance. Further investigations involving optimized extraction techniques, phytochemical characterization, toxicity assessment, and broader-spectrum antimicrobial testing are recommended to support the development of N. nucifera-derived antimicrobial products.
References
Abdallah, E. M., Alhatlani, B. Y., de Paula Menezes, R., & Martins, C. H. G. (2023). Back to nature: Medicinal plants as promising sources for antibacterial drugs in the post-antibiotic era. Plants, 12(17), 3077. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173077
Alara, J. A., & Alara, O. R. (2024). An overview of the global alarming increase of multiple drug resistant: A major challenge in clinical diagnosis. Infectious Disorders-Drug Targets Disorders), 24(3), 26-42. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871526523666230725103902
Ali, H. S., & Mishra, S. (2024). Natural products as antiparasitic, antifungal, and antibacterial agents. Drugs from Nature: Targets, Assay Systems and Leads, 367-409. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9183-9_14
Bishayee, A., Patel, P. A., Sharma, P., Thoutireddy, S., & Das, N. (2022). Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) and its bioactive phytocompounds: A tribute to cancer prevention and intervention. Cancers, 14(3), 529. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14030529
Breijyeh, Z., Jubeh, B., & Karaman, R. (2020). Resistance of Gram-negative bacteria to current antibacterial agents and approaches to resolve it. Molecules, 25(6), 1340. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25061340
Chew, Y. L., Khor, M. A., Xu, Z., Lee, S. K., Keng, J. W., Sang, S. H., Akowuah, G. A., Goh, K. W., Liew, K. B., & Ming, L. C. (2022). Cassia alata, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa and Azadirachta indica: Food ingredients as complementary and alternative therapies for atopic dermatitis—A comprehensive review. Molecules, 27(17), 5475. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175475
El-Saadony, M. T., Saad, A. M., Mohammed, D. M., Korma, S. A., Alshahrani, M. Y., Ahmed, A. E., & Ibrahim, S. A. (2025). Medicinal plants: Bioactive compounds, biological activities, combating multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and human health benefits—A comprehensive review. Frontiers in Immunology, 16, Article 1491777. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1491777
Grudlewska-Buda, K., Bauza-Kaszewska, J., Wiktorczyk-Kapischke, N., Budzyńska, A., Gospodarek-Komkowska, E., & Skowron, K. (2023). Antibiotic resistance in selected emerging bacterial foodborne pathogens-An issue of concern? Antibiotics, 12(5), 880. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12050880 Izah, S.C. et al. (2024). Historical Perspectives and Overview of the Value of Herbal Medicine. In: Izah, S.C., Ogwu, M.C., Akram, M. (eds) Herbal Medicine Phytochemistry. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43199-9_1
Jadimurthy, R., Jagadish, S., Nayak, S. C., Kumar, S., Mohan, C. D., & Rangappa, K. S. (2023). Phytochemicals as invaluable sources of potent antimicrobial agents to combat antibiotic resistance. Life, 13(4), 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13040948
Joshi, R., Soni, D., Chauhan, N. S., Baldi, A., & Gupta, A. (2026). Understanding phytochemistry: In-depth exploration of the chemical compounds in herbs and their biological activities. Exploring Herbal Synergies for Optimal Human Health, (pp. 21-61.) CRS Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003539131-2
Muteeb, G., Rehman, M. T., Shahwan, M., & Aatif, M. (2023). Origin of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, and their impacts on drug development: A narrative review. Pharmaceuticals, 16(11), 1615. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16111615
Naz, A., Razzaq, K., Ullah, S., Sharif, M., Hamza, A., & Hussain, S. B. (2024). Natural plant extracts and postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables. In Sustainable Postharvest Technologies for Fruits and Vegetables (pp. 418-430). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003370376
Nguyen, T. L., Ora, A., Häkkinen, S. T., Ritala, A., Räisänen, R., Kallioinen-Mänttäri, M., & Melin, K. (2024). Innovative extraction technologies of bioactive compounds from plant by-products for textile colorants and antimicrobial agents. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 14, 24973-25002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04726-4
Niranjan, P. S., Swarnkar, R. J., & Singh, D. (2023). Antimicrobial activity of Nelumbo nucifera leaves. Internatioal Journal of Biology, Pharmacy and Allied Science, 12(7), 3078-3087. https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2023/12.7.7242
Pengon, S. I. R. I. K. A. R. N., Chinatangkul, N. A. W. I. N. D. A., Limmatvapirat, C., & Limmatvapirat, S. (2020). Development of antimicrobial nanoemulsions containing Nelumbo nucifera extract. Key Engineering Materials, 859, 226-231. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.859.226
Rajput, M., Jadon, A. S., & Bhadauriya, P. (2022). In-vitro evaluation of antimicrobial properties of Nelumbo nucifera. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 11(03),085-091. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjbphs.2022.11.3.0138
Sahu, B., Sahu, M., Sahu, M., Yadav, M., Sahu, R., & Sahu, C. (2024). An updated review on Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn: Chemical composition, nutritional value and pharmacological activities. Chemistry & Biodiversity,21(5), e202301493. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202301493
Sarkar, R., Nayak, S. L., Suthar, M. K., & Das, M. (2024). Nutraceutical formulations from medicinal plants: A potential therapeutic agent. In Ethnopharmacology and OMICS Advances in Medicinal Plants Volume 1: Uncovering Diversity and Ethnopharmacological Aspects (pp. 391-417). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2367-6_19
