Abstract
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the antimicrobial activities of Euphorbia heterophylla latex.
 Methods: The antibacterial and antifungal activities of acetone, chloroform, and diethyl ether extracts were assayed by disk diffusion method.
 Results: The study of plant E. heterophylla latex revealed the presence of medically active metabolites. Bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited a strong zone of inhibition. Acetone extract exerts a potent zone of inhibition against P. aeruginosa compared to tetracycline. Fungi, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium sp., were used for the antifungal activity. It was observed that the highest zone of inhibition was noticed against A. niger in all the extracts. Interestingly, F. oxysporum and Penicillium sp. showed no zone of inhibition and were resistant to standard drug, fluconazole which was used as a control.
 Conclusion: E. heterophylla latex extract was found to be more potent than the standard drugs which were used against both the bacterial and fungal strains.
Highlights
Medicinal plants play a significant role in providing primary, healthcare services to rural people and are used by about 80% of the marginal communities in the world [1,2,3]
E. heterophylla latex extract was found to be more potent than the standard drugs which were used against both the bacterial and fungal strains
Over the past few decades, medicinal plants have widely been studied for the purpose of the mitigation and the treatment of various infectious diseases because microbial resistances against conventionally used synthetic antimicrobial agents are increasing at an alarming rate [7,8]
Summary
Medicinal plants play a significant role in providing primary, healthcare services to rural people and are used by about 80% of the marginal communities in the world [1,2,3]. It is commonly called Mexican fire plant, milk weed and spurge weed in English Several chemical compounds such as friedelin, β-sitosterol, myricyl alcohol, ellagic acid, benzoic acid, diterpenes, stigmasterol, quercetin, and different amino acids are present in E. heterophylla [11]. This plant is native to Central and South America, but observed in tropical and subtropical levels. Despite the toxicity hazard of this plant, it has various medicinal properties which include its use in the treatment of gonorrhea, respiratory tract infection, malaria, eczema, asthma, and wart cure [13]
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