STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE FOLKLORE MEDICINAL PLANT, ACALYPHA FRUTICOSA FORSSK.

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the antimicrobial efficacy of root extracts of the folklore medicinal plant species, Acalypha fruticosa Forssk by using three alcoholic solvents viz; petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol were tested against ten human pathogenic bacteria viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. stutzeri, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus sp., Lactobacillus sp., Servatia sp., Moraxetta sp., Bacillus subtilis, B. thuriengensis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and ten human pathogenic fungi viz., Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A.baumannii, Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Mucor rouxii, Alternaria alternata, Candida albicans, Cladosporium sp. and Rhizopus sp. for assessing the antimicrobial properties by adapting disc diffusion method. The results of the study revealed that all extracts showed varied degree of antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens. However, the methanol extracts exhibited higher inhibition zone (21.83 mm) against the bacterium, Bacillus subtilis and ethyl acetate extracts showed higher inhibiotion zone (24.83 mm) against the fungus, Rhizopus sp. Results concluded that this spices contain high amount of secondary metabolites due to these metabolites they have high antimicrobial activity and it can be used as good bio- preservater and it can also use for medicinal purpose.