Original Articles: 2012 Vol: 4 Issue: 8
Antimicrobial activity of Polycarpaea corymbosa Lam. (Caryophyllaceae) against human pathogens
Abstract
Polycarpaea corymbosa are widely used traditional medicinal plant to treat various ailments. The antimicrobial potential of Polycarpaea corymbosa against human pathogenic microorganisms (fifteen bacteria and six fungus) ware investigated. Antimicrobial activity of various plants extracts was compared with commercially available antibiotics. The antimicrobial potential of the above plant extracts was seen against the test organism using disc diffusion method. The phytochemical prospection of the dried aerial and root extracts showed the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites, as phenols, flavonoid, alkaloids and tannins that have demonstrated antimicrobial action. Acetone and methanolic extracts showed considerably good antibacterial activity against all bacteria and fungi. This study shed the light on the ability of extracts from the plant to combat pathogens which will help as natural antimicrobial agents as well as can be used in pharmaceutical and food preservation systems.