Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of triphala extracts

Triphala (Digestive Support) is a composite herbal preparation containing equal proportions of the fruits of three myrobalans, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia bellerica. This preparation is known to be a safe hypoglycemic agent. Triphala prevents aging, imparts immunity and improves mental faculties. It helps to detoxify the liver, restore digestion and purify blood. Triphala is widely used in a large number of medicinal preparations. Phytochemical screening reveals that the major constituents of Triphala, Amla, Baheda & Harad extract are phenolic, alkaloid, and flavanoid, compounds. Phenolic compounds which may be responsible for the activation of antioxidant. DPPH radical scavenging activity: Triphala & its individual fruit extracts had significant scavenging effect on the DPPH free radical which increases with increasing concentration from 20-10μg/ml. The anti microbial activity was found maximum with the methanolic extract of Triphala followed by Amla then Baheda and Harad. The antimicrobial activity and may be due to the extracted phytochemicals in methanolic extracts. Triphala, Amla, and Baheda & Harad shows positive results for phenolic component in the methanolic extract thus we can assume that the phenols may be responsible for the antimicrobial activity. But further chemical characterization is needed to confirm the molecule responsible for the activity. Triphala as a mixture shows better antibacterial activity as compared with individual fruit extracts therefore Triphala can be used in therapy as it has multiple other health benefits also.