Abstract

TO STUDY THE IN VITRO ANTI-MICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF STEMS AND LEAVES OF THE PLANT RICINUS COMMUNIS. (FAMILY- EUPHORBIACEAE)

Mahbub Alom* and Proff. Dr Gouranga Das

Abstract

Ricinus communis, the castor bean or castor-oil-plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family- Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species of monotypic genus. The part leaf, stem, seed of the plant Ricinus communis shows the antimicrobial activity. That antimicrobial compounds that could be useful as an alternative to synthetic microbicides and are being used to develop drugs. The antimicrobial activity of various extracts of Ricinus communis was performed by Disc diffusion method to check the zone of inhibition of ethanolic extract was compared with that of standard drug i.e., azithromycine for anti-bacterial activity The results of antimicrobial activity revealed that all the extracts showed good inhibitory activity against all the tested microbes. Chloroform and ethanol extracts of leaves, stem and seed showed comparatively better activity than petroleum ether extract. Thus Ricinus communis is an effective antimicrobial agent. And they can be used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by microbes. Thus this plant is used as a medicinal plant for clinical use.

Keywords: Ricinus communis, Anti-microbial, Agar disc diffusion method, Zone of Inhibition etc.