In vitro antimicrobial activity of four ficus carica latex fractions against resistant human pathogens [antimicrobial activity of ficus carica latex]

ABSTRACT

Methanolic, hexanoi'c, chloroformic and ethyl acetate extracts of Ficus carica latex were investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial proprieties against five bacteria species and seven strains of fungi. The green fruit latex was collected from Chott Mariam Souse, Middle East coast of Tunisia. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated and based respectively on the inhibition zone using the disc - diffusion assay, minimal inhibition concentration [MIC] for bacterial testing and the method by calculating inhibition percentage [1%] for fungi-inhibiting activities. The methanolic extract had no effect against bacteria except for Proteus mirabilis while the ethyl acetate extract had inhibition effect on the multiplication of five bacteria species [Enterococcus fecalis, Citobacter freundei, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Echerchia coll and Proteus mirabilis]. For the opportunist pathogenic yeasts, ethyl acetate and chlorophormic fractions showed a very strong inhibition [100%]; methanolic fraction had a total inhibition against Candida albicans [100%] at a concentration of 500 micro g/ml and a negative effect against Cryptococcus neoformans. Microsporum canis was strongly inhibited with methanolic extract [75%] and totally with ethyl acetate extract at a concentration of 750 micro g/ml. Hexanoi'c extract showed medium results: