Antibacterial studies on leaves of clitoria ternatea linn. - a high potential medicinal plant.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial properties of Clitoria ternatea. The organic solvent (Petroleum ether, Ethyl acetate and Methanol) extracts from the leaves of Clitoria ternatea (Papilionoideae) were tested against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris and Salmonella typhi by agar disc and well diffusion methods. The results showed promising antibacterial activity against the tested microbial pathogens. Among these, methanol extract was found to possess a more potent inhibitory activity effect when compared to the other extracts (Petroleum ether and Ethyl acetate). The results of this study validate the use methanol extract of this species in ethnomedicine, favouring the isolation of antibacterial agents from the leaf extracts of Clitoria ternatea.