Abstract

SYNERGISTIC ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF TRIDAX PROCUMBENS L. AND PERISTROPHE BICALYCULATA RETZ. LEAF EXTRACTS USING DIFFERENT SOLVENT SYSTEMS

Karthick Subramani*, Vanathi Sundarapandiyan, Anand Subramaniam Parvathi, Subasri Kumar

ABSTRACT

Background: The need for novel antimicrobial agents made from natural sources has increased globally due to the quick emergence of pathogens resistant to antibiotics. Traditional medicine has long employed medicinal plants like Tridax procumbens L. and Peristrophe bicalyculata Retz., but little is known about their combined antimicrobial potential. Methods: Methanol and chloroform were used to extract the leaves of T. procumbens and P. bicalyculata after they had been collected and shade-dried. Using the disc diffusion method, the antimicrobial properties of both single and combined extracts were assessed against fungi (Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, and A. flavus), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae), and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, S. haemolyticus). Results: The superior extraction of bioactive phytoconstituents in polar solvents was demonstrated by the noticeably higher antimicrobial activity of methanolic extracts when compared to chloroform extracts. While T. procumbens demonstrated strong inhibition against S. aureus (30 ± 1 mm), P. bicalyculata's methanol extract exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against S. haemolyticus (37.66 ± 4.50 mm). A synergistic effect was confirmed by the increased inhibitory zones shown by the combined methanolic extracts. Antifungal assays revealed similar trends, with A. niger exhibiting the highest sensitivity. Conclusion: Strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity was shown by the combined methanolic extracts of P. bicalyculata and T. procumbens. These results point to their potential as natural resources for creating phytotherapeutic agents that fight infections resistant to antibiotics.

Keywords: Tridax procumbens; Peristrophe bicalyculata; Antimicrobial activity; Synergistic effect; Medicinal plants.