Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF EUPHORBIA HIRTA L. AND PEDALIUM MUREX L. - A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Dr. S. Jenifer*, D. Kezia Laveena, S. Priya, S. John Sunder Singh, J. Jeyasree

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries as remedies for human diseases because they contain components of therapeutic value. Herbal medicine is still mainstay of about 75-80 % of the whole population, mainly in developing countries, for primary health care because of better cultural acceptability, better compatibility with the human body and fewer side effects. Euphorbia hirta (amman pacharisi) is a small perennial herb which belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae and it is used to treat bronchitic asthma, ameoboidal dysentry and laryngeal spasm. Pedalium murex (yanai nerunjil) is a much-branched annual herb. This belongs to the family of Pedaliaceae and is used to treat gonohorrea, urinary tract infections and spermatohorrea.The present study is to compare the antibacterial and antifungal activity of aqueous and organic solvent leaf extracts of Euphorbia hirta and Pedalium murex. The antimicrobial assay is done by disc diffusion method against bacterial species (Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aeromonas liquefaciens and lcaligenes spp.) and fungal species (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus erythrocephalus and Fusarium spp.).

Keywords: Euphorbia hirta, urinary tract infections, disc diffusion method, organic solvent.