Potential Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Achyranthes aspera L.

Abstract

Petroleum ether, Chloroform and Methanol extract of dried leaves of Achyranthes aspera Family: Amaranthaceae were obtained by infusion and maceration were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities. The extracts were tested against 5 different species of human pathogenic bacteria and 17 fungal strains by the agar-solid diffusion method. Most of the extracts were devoid of antifungal and antibacterial activities, except the methanolic ectracts of leaves of Achyranthes aspera obtained by infusion, which has showed a strong inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphlyococcus aureus with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5000 µl ml^-1. The minimal inhibitory concentration values to dermatophyte strains were 2500 µl ml^-1 against Trichophyton rubrum (LM-09, LM-13) and Microsporum canis. In conclusion, it appears that Achyranthes aspera has non-specific antimicrobial activity.