Antimicrobial activity of Datura stramonium L. and Tylophora indica (Burm.f.) Merr

Abstract

The alcoholic extract of Datura stramonium L. (Solanaceae) and Tylophora indica (Burm.f.) Merr. (Asclepiadaceae) were evaluated for antimicrobial activity. The dried leaves of these plants were extracted with 95% alcohol. The preliminary phytochemical investigation was done for both the extracts to identify various phytochemical constituents present in the extracts and also subjected to antimicrobial activity for the assessment of inhibitory effects of the alcoholic extracts of these plants against nine medically important pathogenic microbes by in vitro agar well diffusion method. The results of the preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, saponins in both the plants. In addition to this, these extracts exhibited significant zone of inhibition and good antimicrobial activity against the majority of the selected strains of microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium species. These present results leading to the conclusion that these plants would serve as sources novel antimicrobial agents.