Screening of Callicarpa arborea and Hemigraphis alternata for antibacterial activity

Abstract

Callicarpa arborea and Hemigraphis alternata are two medicinal plants claimed to have antimicrobial property in Indian traditional medicine. The methanol extracts of the stem bark of C. arborea and the leaves of H. alternata were prepared and tested for antibacterial activity using disk diffusion method. Four Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium; and two Gram-positive bacteria such as Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus subtilis were used. C. arborea extract was effective against all the bacteria tested, while H. alternata did not show any inhibitory activity. These findings suggest that C. arborea is a good source of antibacterial compound.