Antimicrobial activity of Ficus deltoidea Jack [Mas Cotek]

ABSTRACT

Present study aimed to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the chloroform, methanol and aqueous extracts of Ficus deltoidea at 10mg/ml, 20mg/ml and 50 mg/ml, respectively using the disc diffusion method against 2 Gram positive [Staphylococcus aureus [IMR S-277], Bacillus subtilis [IMR K-1]], 2 Gram negative [Escherichia coli [IMR E-940], Pseudomonas aeroginosa [IMR P-84]] and 1 fungal strain, Candida albicans [IMR C-44]. All the extracts showed inhibitory activity on the fungus, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains tested except for the chloroform and aqueous extracts on B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeroginosa. The methanol extract exhibited good antibacterial and antifungal activities against the test organisms. The methanol extract significantly inhibited the growth of S. aureus forming a wide inhibition zone [15.67 +/- 0.58 mm] and lowest minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] value [3.125 mg/ml]. B. subtilis was the least sensitive to the chloroform extract [6.33 +/- 0.58 mm] and highest minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] value [25 mg/ml]. Antimicrobial activity of F. deltoidea in vitro further justifies its utility in folkleric medicines for the treatment of infections of microbial origin.