Antimicrobial Activity of Crude Extracts of Heliotropium marifolium Retz.

Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of different extracts (chloroform, ethylacetate, methanol, water) of the plant. Heliotropium marifolium Retz. Methods: Antimicrobial activity was assessed by standard dilution test using Mueller Hinton agar (MH) medium. The zone of inhibition of the extracts was compared with that of ciprofloxacin (5 μg / disc) by disc diffusion method. Results: The findings showed potential antimicrobial properties of the extracts against the organisms tested. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts was 133.33 μg/ml. The zone of inhibition of all extracts was comparable with that of ciprofloxacin. Conclusions: The study suggests that the plant is promising for development of phytomedicine for antimicrobial properties.