Abstract

IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL OF TRICHOSANTHES TRICUSPIDATA LOUR. AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

T. Francis Xavier and G. Dhanasekaran*

ABSTRACT

Trichosanthes tricuspidata belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae is found at an elevation of 1200 to 2300 m ranges from the Eastern Himalayas in India and plant is considered to be medicinally important in several traditional systems of medicine. It has been used widely in curing fever, asthma, migraine, diabetic carbuncles, and other maladies. The antibacterial activity of leaf extract was tested against Gram positive pathogens viz Staphylococcus hemolyticus, Staphylococcus lentinus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Gram negative pathogens viz E.coli, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter aerogens, Klebsiella pneumonia, Klebsiella oxytoca and Brevebacterium paucivorans. Among the various solvent extracts tested ethanol leaf extract showed greater inhibitions against Bacillus cereus Klebsiella pneumonia, Klebsiella oxytoca and Brevebacterium paucivorans. Similarly acetone extracts exhibited their antibacterial activities against E.coli and Brevebacterium paucivorans, whereas chloroform extract showed moderate inhibitions on Klebsiella oxytoca and Serratia marcescens

Keywords: Trichosanthes tricuspidata, greater inhibitions, leaf extract, traditional medicine.