In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity of different solvent extracted samples of Alhagi maurorum

This research work was conducted at the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), The University of Agriculture Peshawar, KPK Pakistan. The aim of the study was to determine the anti-microbial activity of different samples extracted from Alhagi maurorum plant using different solvents. Plant material was collected from the local areas of Peshawar valley during the month of April. The anti-microbial potential of all the six samples were determined against seven bacterial strains, three-gram positive (B. atrophus, B. subtilis and S. aureus) and four-gram negative strains (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia and S. typhi) and one fungal specie (C. albicans) using disc diffusion susceptibility assay. All the extracted samples were applied in concentration of 1 and 2 mg/disc. Analysis of the data showed that butanol extracted samples were the most effective fraction and inhibited the growth of almost all the tested microbes while hexane extracted samples were the least effective. Other extracts (ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol and water) showed variable activity against the tested microbes at both concentrations. The most resistant bacterial strain was P. aeruginosa, which showed resistance to most of the extracts while the most susceptible bacterial specie was K. pneumonia, the growth of which was inhibited by all six extracts. The anti-fungal activity was revealed by ethyl acetate (2 mg/disc) and butanol fractions only. The rest of extracts were ineffective in controlling the growth of C. albicans even at high concentration (2 mg/disc).