Original Articles
D. Saranya, J. Sekar* and G. A
Abstract
Phytochemical analyses of different extracts of Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet was analysed. Leaves were extracted successively with different solvents viz., Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The antimicrobial activity of different extracts was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis by using the extent of the inhibitory zone, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were also determined. The ethyl acetate extract of Abutilon indicum showed the highest antimicrobial activity against all the bacterial and fungal strains tested than the other solvent extracts. The mean zones of inhibition produced by the extracts in agar diffusion assays against the tested bacterial strains ranged from 7.0 to 23.1 mm. The lowest MIC (62.5 and 125 μg/ml), MBC (125 and 1000μg/ml) and MFC values (500 and 1000 μg/ml) were recorded. . The ethyl acetate extract of A. indicum leaves showed the presence of strong phytochemicals viz., flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, steroids, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids and alkaloids than other extracts. The highest mean of zone inhibition (23.1 mm) was observed in the ethyl acetate extract of A. indicum against Staphylococcus aureus. These finding suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of A. indicum can be used as an antimicrobial substance for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections.