Evaluation of Antibacterial Sensitivity of Euphorbia hirta Linn. Leaf Extract

Abstract

Abstract
Euphorbia hirta L. (Asthma Lata), a pantropic herbaceous wild plant which has been widely used as a medicinal plant throughout Bangladesh. The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic and methanolic leaf extracts of E. hirta against six pathogenic bacteria viz. Bacillus subtilis, Sarcina lutea, Xanthomonas campestris, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas sp. by disc diffusion method. Both crude extracts of E. hirta exerted the highest efficiency against S. lutea. The MIC value was lowest 128 μg/ml from ethanolic extract against S. lutea and K. pneumonia that produced 3±0.14 and 3±0.09 mm zone of inhibition respectively. The highest MIC value was 512 μg/ml from methanolic extract against S. lutea that produced 5±0.35 mm zone. The activity of ethanolic and methanolic extracts were compared with commercial antibiotic Cloxacillin.
Keywords: euphorbia hirta, antimicrobial activity, evaluation, disc diffusion, zone of inhibition