Original Articles
Malathy R. and Shaleesha A. St
Abstract
Aquatic plants maintain water clarity by preventing the re-suspension of bottom sediments. Certain water plants can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. The current study on three different aquatic plants Cabomba aquatica, Ceratophyllum demersum and Hygrophila corymbosa was proved to have antimicrobial activity. Crude extracts of plants and were prepared in acetone, butanol and methanol. The presence of antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion method against one gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus), one gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial strain and one fungi (Aspergillus niger) was studied and qualitative phytochemical screening was performed. 100% butanol extracts of Hygrophila corymbosa showed highest antibacterial activity (12mm) against E.coli and 50% methanol extracts of Cabomba aquatica showed high antifungal activity (18mm) against A.niger. The phytochemical evaluation revealed that all three plant leaves showed presence of secondary metabolites like tannins, steroids, glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and alkaloids.