European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

INVITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE LEAVES AND FLOWERS OF POGOSTEMON QUADRIFOLIUS (BENTH.) F.MUELL. (LAMIACEAE)

Jisha M.*, Zeinul Hukuman N.H. and Leena P.

ABSTRACT

The study evaluates the potential antimicrobial activity of petroleum ether, acetone, methanol and aqueous extracts, obtained by continous serial Soxhlet extraction, of leaves and flowers of Pogostemon quadrifolius (Benth.) by agar well diffusion method against one fungi, Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), two gram negative bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 13883), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and two gram positive bacteria, Streptococcus mutans (MTCC 890) & Staphylococcus aureus ( ATCC 25923). Pogostemon quadrifolius leaf and flower extracts showed more activity against gram positive bacteria and moreover floral extracts were more effective than leaf extracts, against bacteria and fungi. Against Candida albicans, leaf extracts of methanol and petroleum ether showed a maximum zone of inhibition of 14 mm where among floral extracts, acetone extract showed a zone of inhibition of 20mm (100μg/ml). The maximum zone of inhibition shown by the different bacteria against the various extracts of leaves and flowers are reported.

Keywords: Pogostemon quadrifolius, antimicrobial activity, leaves, flowers.