Abstract

COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY OF CRUDE LEAF EXTRACTS OF CALOTROPIS SPP. AT GULBARGA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA

*Bharathi Halu and G.M. Vidyasagar

ABSTRACT

During field trips and conversation with traditional healers, a new information came to light. The healers preferred white flowered C. gigantea over purple flowered C. gigantea for medication. In an attempt to evaluate it, comparative antibacterial activity of crude leaf extracts of white flowered C. gigantea, purple flowered C. gigantea and C. procera was carried out against human pathogenic bacterial strains, two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and two Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae) using cup plate assay. Powdered leaf materials were extracted with chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol using Soxhlet apparatus. Results indicated that, white flowered C. gigantea showed better activity in comparison to other samples against all bacteria tested, except chloroform extract against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Ethyl acetate extracts showed highest activity where as methanol extract showed least activity.

Keywords: Calotropis spp, traditional knowledge, antibacterial, leaf extract.