Original Articles
Umaiyambigai D. and Saravanaku
Abstract
The antimicrobial activity of Pleiospermium alatum leaves were extracted successively with different solvents viz., Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. Screened for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae. Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis by using disc diffusion method, the extent of the inhibitory zones, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were also determined. The methanol extract of P. alatum showed the highest antimicrobial activity against all the bacterial and fungal strains tested than the other extracts. The mean zones of inhibition produced by the extracts in agar diffusion assays against the tested bacterial strains ranged from 7.0 to 19.8 mm. The MIC values were between 125 and 250μg/ml, MBC values250 and 1000 μg/ml and MFC 250 and 1000 μg/ml values were recorded. Phytochemical analyses of different extracts of leaves P. alatum was analysed. The methanol extract of P. alatum leaves are showed the presence of strong phytochemicals viz., steroids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids than the other extracts. The highest mean of zone inhibition (19.8 mm) was observed in the methanol the extract of P. alatum against Staphylococcus aureus. These finding suggest that the methanol extract of Pleiospermium alatum can be used as a antimicrobial substance for the treatment of microbial infections.