In vitro and inhibitory activity of pathogens on leaves of Argemone mexicana L. and Premna tomentosa L.

Abstract

The leaves of potential medicinal plants such as A. mexicana and P. tomentosa were. subjected for Phytochemical screening, evaluation of antioxidant activity and antimicrobial studies. In the present study, all the extracts clearly showed the presence of certain important secondary metabolites. High levels of polyphenols and flavonoids were found in ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts, respectively in P. tomentosa when compare to the A. maxicana. The antioxidant activity of the plant extracts were determined by using DPPH scavenging and reducing power assay. The results clearly indicated that ethyl acetate extract showed better DPPH scavenging activity, in P. tomentosa at concentration of 1000 mg/ml of extract. The antimicrobial activity was done by agar well diffusion method against eight bacterial strains viz., The ethanol extract of A. mexicana exhibited highest antimicrobial activity against B. subtilis when compared with synthetic streptomycin.