Advances in Traditional Medicine

Kyung Hee Oriental Medicine Research Center (경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소)
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In vitro antimicrobial activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Euphorbia hirta

  • Reezal, I. (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) ;
  • Somchit, MN (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) ;
  • Nur, I. Elysha (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) ;
  • Hasmawie, R. (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) ;
  • Chong, PP (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) ;
  • Mutalib, AR (Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Putra Malaysia) ;
  • Ahmad, Z. (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
  • Published : 2003.12.30
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Abstract

Euphorbia hirta, locally called 'ara tanah' or 'susun nabi' in Malaysia is a small annual herb common to the tropical countries and belongs to the same family as the tic and tapioca. E. hirta has had a long history of usage in the treatment of various ailments. In this current study, in vitro sensitivity test of crude aqueous and ethanol extracts of leaves and barks of E. hirta was carried out against bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylocccus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and fungi (Microsporum canis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis) using the discs diffusion method. The extract-impregnated discs (20, 40 and $80\;{\mu}g/{\mu}l$), the E. hirta extracts inhibited the growth of all the bacteria tested. The growth of C. albicans was inhibited in a concentration dependent manner by the aqueous leaves and barks extracts. C. tropicalis was found to be sensitive to the aqueous leaves extracts. The results were compared to antibacterial drugs of chloramphenicol, ampicilin, penicillin G, and enrofloxacine; and to antifungal drug of ketoconazole, itraconazole and miconazole. In this current study, it can be concluded that this plant has antimicrobial activity that is as potent as the standard antimicrobial drugs against certain microorganisms.

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References

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