EFFECT OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS EXTRACTED FROM THE ROOT OF SOLANUM TORVUM SWARTZ. ON THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA OF IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS
*Dr. Lincy Sara Varghese, Ambili P., Dr. V. T. Antony, Keerthimol Joy and Mayamol M. S.
ABSTRACT
Solanum torvum is an ethnobotanically significant plant that possesses good antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-ulcerogenic activities. The present study investigated the antibacterial activity of aqueous, ethanolic, acetone and chloroform extracts of root of S. torvum against six Gram negative and three Gram positive bacteria by disc diffusion method. E. coli was the only Gram negative bacterium that was sensitive to the root extract of S. torvum, with zone of growth inhibition against the chloroform extract alone and resistant to all other extracts. The ethanolic extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity, with the broadest zone of inhibition for S. aureus (20.5 mm) and Bacillus sp (14 mm). S. aureus was also inhibited by aqueous and chloroform extracts. The ethanol and chloroform extract inhibited the growth of Streptococcus, though at weaker levels (7 and 8 mm, respectively). The study reaffirms the protective effect of S. torvum against pathogenic bacteria and their promising antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria, particularly to S. aureus and Bacillus.
[Full Text Article] [Download Certificate]