Ixora Coccinea As An Anti-Infective Plant Agent

Today, plants and plants-based medicines are the source of many of the modern pharmaceuticals we use for our various diseases. There are compounds that are found in plants where it has medicinal value that can help to produce a definite physiological action on the human body. The bioactive compounds that is popular and significant in plants are alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds. The information of these bioactive compounds are obtain through phytochemical screening test and is consider as an effective approach in the discovery of the new anti-infective agents from plants(Devendra, B. et al. 2012). Ixora coccinea Ixora coccinea Linn, a specie of flowering plant in Rubiaceae family commonly known as the flame of the woods, flame of the forest, jungle flame, burning love, scarlet ixora, jungle of geranium, and red ixora, west indian jasmine, is one of evergreen shrub.

The plant is supposed to be originally native to India and Sri Lanka, however, today it can be found growing in the tropical and subtropical climates of the world. It is thought to have a medicinal important because of its phytochemical component that possesses wound healing, antioxidative, antibacterial, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective (prevent liver damage), antidiarrheal, antinociceptive (reduced sensitivity to pain), antimutagenic, antineoplastic (preventing the growth and spread of tumors or malignant cells) and chemopreventive(Dileep R 2016). The genus name “Ixora” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Isvana”, after a Malaysian deity, or possibly from the name “Iswara”, the other name of the Lord Shiva to whom the flowers are offered during worship, while the species name “coccinea” means scarlet because of the bright red, red-orange or red pigment on its flower (Baliga and Kurian 2011). Ixora coccinea are easy to produce profusely in dry lands where the soils is slightly acidic and found commonly in public landscapes such as gardens in parks, school garden and popular even in household as decorative ornaments. It is densely branched and normally grow up to a height of three meters. The stems are grey in color and are about 3 to 4 cm in diameter at the base, while the leaves are dark green in color and oblong in shape. The inflorescences are terminal, dense corymbs, and contain about 15 to 50 flowers, each individual flowers is tubular with four or five calyx lobes.

The usually found pigment are red or red-orange but in some least likely to encounter are white, yellow, salmon or pink pigments of flower. In phytochemical research studies shown the major bioactive compounds present in Ixora coccinea are flavonoids, quercetin, alkaloids and other significant compounds that help human ailments (Dontha et al 2015). Flavonoids are antioxidants that do their work in the body by organizing cell damaging free radicals and metallic ions. Recent study shows that flavonoids go beyond its average work, scientist found that it is also conduct antihistamine, antimicrobial, memory and even mood-enhancing properties. The benefits of flavonoids are still under in argument because it can also interact with prescription drugs in harmful ways, it still remain to be discovered (Strand E. 2003). Quercetin a chemical that acts as an antioxidant, removes chemical by-products that is known to harm cell membranes and DNA and it also possesses antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties. It is now known to be one of alternative medicine that helps to prevent allergy because of its antihistamine activity, it could also lower high blood pressure, help the athletes’ endurance, supplements for chronic pelvis pain syndrome and slows the growth of some types of cancer cells (Wong C. 2018). Alkaloids medicinal properties are morphine a powerful narcotic used to ease the pain, should use it with limit because it could be addictive and codeine the methyl ether derivative of morphine as an excellent analgesic that is nonaddictive (Britannica 2002).

According to Dontha et al (2015) in specific to Ixora coccinea leaves it is known to have an anticancer activity due to the contained bioactive compounds such as alkaloid and camptothecin and the presence was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. Antibiotic resistance bacteria Plants extract are most widely used for antimicrobial activity testing, due to increase population of antibiotic resistance it is necessary to search for new antibacterial agents. Researchers today are commonly using an alternative strategies to fight antibiotic-resistance bacteria by the use of natural antimicrobial substances such as plant extracts (Gnat, S. et al 2017). Bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance by mutating existing genes (vertical evolution) or by acquiring new genes from other strains of species (horizontal gene transfer). The plasmid mobile genetic elements, including phages and transposons mediate the transfer of bacterial genes and in some conditions the presence of low levels of the antibiotic in the environment is the key signal that stimulates gene transfer to ensure that the whole microbial community is protected from the antibiotic (Schmieder, R. , and Edwards, P. 2012).