Anti-microbial activities of Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum) Heine

Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum) Heine (Syn. Asteracantha longifolia Nees. Acanthaceae) was widely used in the Indian System of medicine for the treatment of various liver ailments. There is no sound scientific proof confirming the in-vitro anti microbial activity of petroleum ether, chloroform and n-butanol extract of aerial part of Hygrophila auriculata. Hence, the present study was designed to study the antifungal and antibacterial activity of the different solvent extracts of aerial part of Hygrophila auriculata. To study the anti bacterial and anti fungal activity of all the three crude extracts i.e. Petroleum ether, Chloroform and n-butanol extracts were analyzed against various microbes. The agar plates of the above media were prepared and wells were made in the plate. Each plate was inoculated with 18 h old cultures (200 μl) and spread evenly on the plate. After 20 min, the wells were filled with 50 μl of each compound 1, 2 and 3 (1mg/ml in DMF). The control wells with Gentamycin (1mg/ml) and respective solvents were also prepared. Initially, the stock cultures of Vibrio cholerae, S. aureus, Salmonella typhi, were revived by inoculating in broth media and grown at 37°C for 18 hrs. The values were compared with that of gentamycin.