Abstract

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AND MINIMUM INHIBITORY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROOTS OF CICER ARIETINUM LINN

Karnail Singh* and Kavita Gahlot

ABSTRACT

Cicer arietinum is a potent medicinal plant in the Indian systems of medicine. Traditionally it is used as antibacterial, antifungal, antipyretic, antidiarrhoeal etc. In the present study the hydroalcoholic extract and its acetone and methanol fractions of the root of C. arietinum were studied for their antifungal activity by disc diffusion method against two fungal strains Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. It was found that the hydroalcoholic extract, acetone fraction and methanol fraction (100μg/disc) gave promising inhibitory activity against all the fungi tested herein. The zone of inhibition of hydroalcoholic extract and methanol fraction were 13 mm and 12 mm respectively against C.albicans and zone of inhibition (13 mm in diameter) was recorded against A.niger of acetone fraction and the hydroalcoholic extract showed the highest activity (13 mm) against C. albicans.

Keywords: Cicer arietinum, disc-diffusion method, antifungal activity, minimum inhibitory concentration.