In Vitro Antibacterial, Cytotoxicity and Wound Healing Activities of Methanol and Aqueous Extracts from Achyranthes aspera

Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae) is a most important plant in the Indian medicinal system of Unani, Ayurveda, and Sidha. It is distributed throughout tropical countries particularly this medicinal herb is found as a weed all over India. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria treatment, many medicinal plants act as alternatives to antibiotics and are considered new resources for producing agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxicity, and wound-healing potential of methanolic and aqueous extracts of A. aspera. Physio-chemical parameters of A. aspera were screened by qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals and it revealed the existence of saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, and flavonoids in each extract. The methanolic extract showed strong scavenging effects against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical in comparison with the aqueous extract. The methanolic extract of A. aspera was bactericidal at 100 μg/ml concentration against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus). In addition, the finding suggests A. aspera extract promotes in vitro wound healing by enhancement of Vero cells and has the potential for the treatment of wounds. The study concludes the strong radical scavenging effect of Achyranthes aspera along with remarkable antibacterial and wound healing actions.