Exploring The Antimicrobial Activity Of Pattu Karuppu: A Siddha Approach To Infectious Disease Management

Abstract

Siddha medicine, one of the oldest medical systems in the world, has its roots in Southern Tamil Nadu and dates back approximately 3000 years. This holistic system employs a diverse range of components, including herbs, minerals, metallic salts, and animal products to treat various ailments. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Pattu Karuppu a classical formulation outlined in Siddha literature, particularly the Siddha Vaithiya Thirattu, which is traditionally indicated for conditions such as Dysmenorrhoea (Soothaga soolai), Hysterical convulsions (Soothaga sanni), Leucorrhoea (Soothaga vettai). In this research, Pattu Karuppu was assessed for its microbial load and antimicrobial efficacy against a range of enteric pathogens including Salmonella species, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae. The antimicrobial properties were evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. The results demonstrated that Pattu Karuppu exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zones ranging from 15 - 25 mm against Staphylococcus aureus followed by this 09 - 24 mm of zone against Bacillus cereus, 09 - 13 mm of zone against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 10 - 15 mm zone against Escherichia coli, 09 - 18 mm of zone against Proteus vulgaris at the concentration of 100mg/ml. In conclusion, this study confirms that Pattu Karuppu possesses noteworthy antimicrobial activity, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for treating various infectious diseases in the near future.