Screening of antimicrobial potential of medicinal plant (Ficus racemosa L.) against different species of pathogenic microbes
Reshmi R. P1 and S. Justin Raj2*
1,2*Department of Biotechnology, Malankara Catholic College, Mariagiri, Kaliyakavilai - 629153 (India) Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, India. *Corresponding author’s E-mail: rajstephy6@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Ficus racemosa L. is an important medicinal plant found in India, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It is popularly known as ‘gular.’ Many active constituents that have been isolated from various parts of this plant possess useful pharmacological activities. The literature survey proposed that it has multiple pharmacological actions that include antidiabetic, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antifungal, antibacterial, hypolipidemic, antifilarial, and hepatoprotection. The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, as well as the evolution of new strains of disease causing agents, are of great concern to the global health community. Effective treatment of a disease entails the development of new pharmaceuticals or some potential source of novel drugs. The objective of the study is to screen the antimicrobial activity of different leaf and fruit extracts against four different pathogens. Streptomycin was used as a positive control. In agar well diffusion method the petroleum ether fruit extract of Ficus racemosa was found to be most potent, which showed highest zone of inhibition (18mm in 1000 µg) against Streptococcus mutans and the acetone leaf extract of Ficus racemosa showed highest activity (16 mm in 1000 µg) against Escherichia coli.