Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF LEAF EXTRACTS FROM OXALIS CORYMBOSA AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL ISOLATES

Keerti Singh, Lokesh Gambhir, Priyanka Deb Berma and Kunal Kishor*

Abstract

Medicinal plants are known to possess repertoire of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant activity. Oxalidaceae, a well known versatile medicinal plant family from India, has been shown to encompass potential of multitude of bioactive ingredients. Though much emphasis has been given on the potential of Oxalis Corniculata, there are other species in the genus which may serve as promising candidate for source of bioactive metabolites. Oxalis Corymbosa, is an important medicinal plant and the present work was undertaken to explore the potent inhibitory activity its leaf extract against pathogenic bacterial and fungal isolates. Interestingly, leaf extract of Oxalis Corymbosa exhibited much potent antibacterial activity with maximum inhibition in acetone and ethyl acetate extract. Further, phytochemical analysis provides a detailed insight of the probable presence of phytochemical constituents in leaf extract. These findings for the first time highlights the prospective of leaf extract of Oxalis Corymbosa against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Further studies are warranted to pave the path of exploring the synergistic effects with antibiotics as treatment modality.

Keywords: Oxalis Corymbosa, Antibacterial, Antifungal.