IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES AND BRINE SHRIMP LETHALITY BIOASSAY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM. LEAVES

Abstract

The present work was accomplished to explore the antibacterial activity and cytotoxic potentials of ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves using disc diffusion method and brine shrimp lethality test respectively. Four Gram-positive and eight Gram-negative human pathogenic bacteria were used for antibacterial screening. Ethanolic extract of leaves showed prominent activity against all the microbes with the zone of inhibition ranging from 10.1 to 26.3 mm. Comparatively higher activity was exhibited by Gram negative bacteria, in that case Escherichia coli and Shigella dysenteriae showed 26.3 mm and 25.2 mm zone of inhibition. The MIC values for Gram negative bacteria ranged from 62.5 to 125 µg/ml while for Gram positive bacteria ranged from 125-250 $\mu$ g/ml. Cytotoxic potentials were evaluated from leaves extract against Artemia salina Leach at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 $\mu$ g/ml and vincristine sulphate was used as positive control. The extracts showed significant brine shrimp lethality having LC50 value of 8.12 $\mu$ g/ml in comparison with the standard vincristine sulphate having LC50 value of 6.76µg/ml. The results suggest that ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves can be considered as a source of natural antibacterial and anticancer agent.