Antimicrobial Activity of Stem of Capparis decidua Edgew

Summary Capparis decidua Edgew commonly known as kair in Hindi is well known for curing a variety of ailments such as toothache, cough, asthma, intermittent fever and rheumatism. Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanolic and aqueous extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. The antimicrobial activity was carried out using different dilutions of different extracts (10mg/ml, 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 100mg/ml) against gram positive strains ( Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilus) and gram negative ones ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli), and Fungi like Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger by the cup,plate assay method and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The minimum inhibitory concentration of chloroform extract against bacterial strains staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli was 12.5µg/ml and against Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilus was 6.25µg/ml and the minimum inhibitory concentration of ethanolic extract against bacterial strains S taphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteu was observed 12.5µg/ml and against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilus and Escherichia coli was 6.25µg/ml. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the both chloroform and ethanolic extract against Candida albicans was found 6.25µg/ml. All the extracts have shown antimicrobial activity, but the chloroform and ethanolic extracts shows the significant zones of inhibition for all microorganisms studied and no MIC was found against Aspergillus niger .