Research Article
EVALUATION OF IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF MEDICINAL PLANT: SOLANUM VIRGINIANUM L.
Abstract
Over the past few decades the use of antibiotics is under threat as many commonly used antibiotics have become less effective against certain illnesses due to emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. The continuous evolution of bacterial resistance to available antibiotics has necessitated the search for novel and effective antimicrobial compounds over a wide range of microorganisms. Development of bacterial resistance and increasing popularity of traditional medicine has led researchers to investigate the novel antimicrobial compounds in plants. One way to prevent antibiotic resistance is by exploring new bioactive compounds from traditional medicine which is not based on the existing synthetic antimicrobial agents. Solanum virginianum L. belongs to family Solanaceae is an important plant used in traditional medicine system. In current investigation the antimicrobial potential of Solanum virginianum L. was estimated against different pathogenic microorganisms and preliminary phytochemical study was performed. The results obtained during investigation indicated that the plant possesses considerable
antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms giving a zone of inhibition ranging from 12-21mm in diameter. Ethanolic extract shows minimum Inhibition concentration ranges from 50-350μg/ml. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various phytochemicals including Alkaloids, Tannins, and Saponins etc.
