Antimicrobial Activity of Padigalinga Chenduram against Enteric Pathogens

Siddha system of Medicine is a traditional system of Medicine with a pharmacopeia  base  of natural resources –herbs, minerals, metallic salts and animal products. Herbo -mineral compounds offer advantages over  plant drugs by  virtue of their long shelf life, lower dosage, easy storability, and sustained availability as it contain minerals and metals as integral part of the formulations. Siddha system emphasizes aetiology and management of various diseases affecting mankind. Kirahaninoi (chronic diarrhoea) caused by kirumi (microbes) is one among them. Padigalinga chenduram, a herbo-mineral Siddha medicine is mentioned in our Siddha literature is indicated for  Seetha bedhi(mucus diarrhoea), Raththa bedhi (dysentric diarrhoea), Kazhichal suram(fever accompanying diarrhoea) specifically. Kirahani is characterized by acute diarrhoea, gripping abdominal pain and uncomfortable desire to empty the bowel, accompanied by dehydration, weight loss and rise in temperature. In this study, Padigalinga  Chenduram was investigated for antibacterial potential against enteric pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi by Agar well diffusion method. The study implies  that the herbo mineral compound may be useful as an alternative in the treatment of enteric pathogens. Further research in my topic of interest will  be the detection of the compounds responsible for the observed antimicrobial activity.