In-vitro anti-microbial activity of various extracts of Rungiarepens (L) nees

Abstract

Anti-microbial potency of the medicinal plant which has the Sanskrit name of Parpata or Parpatha or Parpadagam was mention in different formulations mainly for treatment of fever. Particularly fresh bruised leaves are mixed with castor oil and applied on scalp to cure Tineacapitis, a scaly fungi infection usually occurring amongst children. In the present study the in-vitro anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl ace- tate and methanol extracts of Rungiarepens (L) Nees was evaluated against various strains of bacteria and fun- gi.The aerial part of the plant extracts were tested for the anti-bacterial activity against gram positive (Staphylo- coccus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi , Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Klebsiellapneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae) bacteria. The anti-fungal potency was tested against Aspergillusfumigatus, Aspergillusniger, Monococcuspurpura,Candida albicans and Tineacapitis. The prelim- inary 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 ex- tracts were further tested for their MIC by micro broth dilution method. From the study, it was found that ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited very good anti-microbial activity against the tested microorganism.