Revealing Anti-Microbial Potential of Traditional Siddha Formulation Pancha Karpa Chooranam against Infectious Pathogens

Background: Infectious diseases are considered to be the most significant threat to human health due to the fact that they are responsible for one-half of all deaths in tropical countries. The majority of the currently available antibiotics have significant drawbacks in terms of antimicrobial spectrum and side effects. Over usage of such antibiotics has contributed to the development of clinical resistance in formerly sensitive microorganisms. Siddha system of medicine offers interesting possibilities to combat drug–resistant pathogens. Medicinal herbs constitute an essential component of Siddha preparations are known for its diverse range of biological activity. One such potential formulation that exists in the Siddha system is Pancha Karpa Chooranam (PKC) which comprises a unique blend of five (pancha) potential herbal ingredients. Materials and Methods: The main objective of the present investigation is to evaluate the anti-microbial efficacy of the formulation PKC using the disc diffusion method. Results: Results of the study clearly emphasise that the drug PKC exhibits significant antimicrobial activity against all the tested organisms. Potency was measured in terms of zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli (15–23 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (13–19 mm), B. subtilis (12–19 mm), Salmonella typhi (16– 23 mm), and Candida albicans (17–21 mm). It was concluded from the results of the present investigation that the Siddha formulation PKC reveals broad spectral anti-bacterial activity against both gramme-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, B. subtilis) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi) pathogens. Conclusion: Further, it was evident that the formulation advocates potential anti-fungal activity against Candida albicans represented by the maximal zone of inhibition which attributes to the existence of structurally diverse phytochemicals present in the preparation. Hence traditional formulations like PKC shall be recommended for clinical management of drug–resistant pathogens in near future.