IN-VITRO ANTIMICROBICAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS EXTRACTS OF DYSCHORISTE LITTORALIS NEES

ABSTRACT

During an appraisal of medicinal plants, it was found that plants belongs to acanthaceae   family was potential for its anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. The leaves and the root of selected plant Dyschoriste littoralis nees are considered a very efficacious remedy for all sorts of coughs, being administered along with ginger. The leaves are also used for rheumatism. The leaves were dried, made into cigarettes and are smoked in asthma and their juice is used in treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. In the present study the in-vitro anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Dyschoriste littoralis nees was evaluated against various strains of bacteria and fungi.  The aerial part of the plant extracts were tested for the anti-bacterial activity against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae) bacteria. The anti-fungal potency was tested against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Monococcus purpura, Candida albicans and Tinea capitis. The preliminary anti-microbial activities were done by agar well diffusion method. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts displayed very less anti-microbial activity; whereas ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed very good anti-microbial activity with widest zone of inhibition which was comparable to standard drug. Hence these two extracts were further tested for their MIC by micro cheap trx canada broth dilution method. From the study it was found that ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Dyschoriste littoralis nees exhibited very good anti-microbial activity against the tested micro-organism.

Key words: Dyschoriste littoralis nees, Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal.