Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge

Vol. 8(2), April 2009, pp. 278-280

Efficacy of plants-based holy stick fumigation against infectious bacteria

Prabhu N*, Rengaramanujam J & Anna Joice P
Post Graduate and Research Department of Microbiology, Dr NGP Arts and Science College, Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital,
Coimbatore 641 035, Tamil Nadu
E-mail: prachanna_76@yahoo.co.in
Received 8 January 2007; revised 15 September 2008
The most common and accepted method of fumigation is to produce fumes using formaldehyde along with potassium
permanganate. The formaldehyde cause sulphydryl poisoning, protein aggregation and cancer inducing nature due to protein
cross linkage. Indians follow the practice, Homam Yagam, where the lifestyle of meditation and external medical practices
were followed. Various holy sticks collected from trees and fumes were produced along with cow dung cake and ghee.
Various bacteria were isolated from various sources and each organism was exposed to the religious stick fumes with
different time incubation. The results revealed that organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae were prominently inhibited. Fumes of Achyranthus aspera controlled
Streptococcus pyogenes. These sticks (dhoops) with various level combinations produce fumes to inhibit or reduce the level
of contamination and risk of infection.
Keywords: Fumigation, Dhoops, Pyogenic organisms, Holy stick fumigation
IPC Int. Cl.8: A01K61/00, A01N25/18

Concern about microbiological hazards to the health

of laboratory workers in laboratory activities has
persuaded Government and official bodies investigate
the causes of infection and its prophylactic steps1.
Department of Safety and Environment Protection
Services (DSEPS) in University of Glasgow has
revised an article Fumigation of Microbiological
Safety Cabinets (MSCS), which is an information
note entitled maintenance refines for microbiological
safety cabinets. MSCS are routinely used in biological
sciences to protect the work against contamination
and for the worker form laboratory acquired infection.
The approved codes of practice to both the Control of
Substances are Hazardous to Health Regulations
(COSHH) and Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulation (PUWER) specifically refer to such
units and require them to undergo a thorough
examination of testing at least once every fourteen
months and to be maintained in an effective
working order2. The common diseases of laboratory
acquired diseases are tuberculosis, diphtheria,
streptococcal infection, etc.3
Generally, the fumigation of the microbiological
laboratory can be done with formaldehyde. It destroys
all the microbes present in the laboratory. But it
_____________
*Corresponding author

causes irritation and intense eyes, sulphydryl

poisoning, protein aggregation and cancer. These
adverse reactions can be checked by using different
holy sticks with ghee; the fumigation can be done as
Homam-yagam as mentioned in classical literature.
The holy sticks are collected to perform traditional
fumigation to control disease transmission4. The
objective of the study was to determine the
antibacterial activity of the fumes from traditional
holy
plants-based
sticks
against
different
microorganisms.
Methodology
The fumigation effect of various plants and related
products showed a wide array of antimicrobial
activity. The usage of barks, seeds and flowers in the
traditional fumigation showed advantages in
sterilization. Based on the above criteria, the
following parameters were standardized and followed:
isolation and characterization of human pathogens;
selection and collection of holy sticks; designing of
fume projector; and exposure of human pathogens to
fumes. Human pathogens were collected from the
outpatients and patients of orthopaedic sections;
different samples like pus, urine, faecal matter and
aspirates were included. Selective medium and
biochemical tests were carried out to characterize and

PRABHU et al.: PLANTS-BASED HOLY STICK FUMIGATION

standardize the cultures like Escherichia coli,

Klebsiella
pneumoniae,
Proteus
vulgaris,
Pseudomonsa aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus,
S. epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes. Various
religious sticks of Achyranthes aspera (Naiuruvi);
Azadirachta indica (Vembu); Calotropis gigantica
(Erukku); Ficus benghalensis (Aalam); Ficus
religiosa (Arasam); Mangifera indica (Ma); and
Pongamia pinnata (Pungai) were collected
separately, dried and stored for the study.
A fume projector was constructed for the study.
One end of the instrument was provided with culture
plate and the other end with petri dish of fuming
sticks provided with ghee. The funnel size was
appropriate suitable to the plate, where there was no
possibility of escape of fumes. Its cost was low and
could modify with provision of the space for burning
the sticks and to have a volume control device that
could enhance to monitor the parameter of fumes. The
tube was of 2 cm in diameter and could transfer the
fumes from one end to other end. The working sample
was made from the isolated cultures and was swabbed
in nutrient agar plates, whereas triplicate plates were
prepared (first for 5 minutes exposure, second for
10 minutes and third as control). One of the sticks was
burned along with ghee for producing for producing
fumes, which was placed at one end of the fume
projector and other end with lawned culture plats. One
of the 3 plates of the culture was exposed to 5 min,
next for 10 min and other as control. After exposure
to fumes, the culture plates were incubated at 37C
for 24 hrs. The same procedure was followed for all
the cultures separately and for all sticks. After prior
incubation, the plates were observed for the inhibition
produced by the fumes of the sticks and the rate was
depicted in percentage. The study was conducted to
analyze the level of control of airborne pathogens and
lab contaminants based on the exposure of fumes
form holy sticks along with the ghee to the isolated
microorganisms. The results were observed on the
basis of the sticks sequentially.
Results and discussion
After the exposure of human pathogens to
A. aspera fumes, Streptococcus pyogenes showed
high level of inhibition at 40% in 10 min, whereas in
5 min it showed only 30% effect. Staphylococcus
aureus showed high level of inhibition of 100% in
10 min and 50% in 5 min to the fumes of A. indica
showed maximum of 90% inhibition rate. While
C. gigantica fumes showed high level of inhibition

279

(90%) in 10 min and 40% in 5 min exposure to

Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Considerable inhibition
was observed with Staphylococcus epidermidis,
Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae
at 60, 50 and 60%, respectively. F. benghalensis
fumes showed high level of inhibition to
K. pneumoniae at 50% in 10 min and showed no
inhibition in 5 min. There was no considerable
degree of inhibition to other pathogens followed by
30% of inhibition to S. aureus. The high level of
inhibition due to S. aureus of 100% in 10 min and
60% in 5 min was noticed in F. religiosa fumes and
also showed considerable level of inhibition to
other pathogens as K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa,
S. epidermidis and S. pyogenes. The fumes of
M. indica showed high level of inhibition to
S. epidermidis (100% in both 5 and 10 min)
followed by S. aureus whose maximum inhibition
rate was 30%. Such inhibition to all the pathogens
witnessed with P. pinnata which showed high level
of inhibition by S. aureus at 100% in 10 min and
60% in 5 min. As overall A. indica, F. religiosa,
M. indica and P. pinnata showed wide inhibition on
various pathogens. Gram negative have wide
resistant against all the plant based fumes, whereas
gram positive bacterial pathogens are sensitive to
most of the fumes.
Formaldehyde fumigation is a simple and easy
procedure for perform in microbiological safety
cabinets but in inherently hazardous to health. The
holy sticks adopted in the study showed considerable
degree inhibition to air borne pathogens which
account for respiratory illness and pus forming
organisms in wound. As a result, the study brought us
more inhibition effect with Azadirachta indica, Ficus
religiosa, Pongamia pinnata and Mangifera indica
predominates than others. From the culture battery,
organisms like S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. pyogenes
and P. aeruginosa were inhibited. The inhibition rate
of plants-based fumes from various holy sticks against
selected bacterial pathogens at 5 and 10 min exposure,
respectively have been highlighted (Figs.1&2).
Without knowing the drug regiments, characterization
of the compounds, humoral pathology and adverse
reactions, it would not have been possible in Vedic
days. In the later years, they did not persist with their
experimentation on the material science, their bend of
mind was more towards spiritual quest, perhaps, on
the realization that material prosperity led nowhere to
extensive Sanskrit5.

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INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 8, No. 2, APRIL 2009

properties8,9. The study shows dhoop sticks of various

combinations produce fumes of sweet aroma to inhibit
the level of contamination and risk of infection. The
fumes of holy sticks having ability to inhibit air borne
microbes can be adopted as an alternative to general
fumigation technique, which is considered hazardous.

Fig. 1 Efficacy of plant fumes against selective bacteria at 5

min exposuare

Acknowledgement
Authors are grateful to the Department of
Ancient Sciences, Tamil University, Thanjavur,
Tamil Nadu for sharing their knowledge on
traditional system of practice and fumigation
practices and its analysis.
References

Fig. 2 Efficacy of plant fumes against selective bacteria at 10

min exposure

The fumes had the ability to inhibit the airborne

microbes (cause respiratory and pruritic problems)
that can be adopted as an alternative to several
fumigation techniques, which is considered as
hazardous6. The instrument (fume projector)
constructed in the study was developed for
environmental investigation7. Various parts of the
plants used in the study are known for medicinal

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