Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Evaluation of Various Parts of Gossypium Herbacium (Linn) Plant

Abstract

The methanol extracts of the various plant parts were screened for anti-oxidant activity by thin layer chromatography using 2,2-diphenyl-1-dipicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) while in vitro antimicrobial evaluation was determined by agar diffusion method and bioautographic technique using Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as test organisms; aqueous solvent served as control and ciprofloxacin served as standard drug. The result showed that methanol extracts of the stem, leaf, root and seed of the plant were found to be stronger against the entire test organisms and the stem and leaf of the plant were also found to possess strong antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial property shown by the leaf is an evidence of the ethno medicinal uses of the plant. G. herbaceum leaf, seed, epicarp, stem bark, root bark, may provide novel plant-derived therapeutic agents, effective in treating infectious diseases arising from multiple drug-resistant bacteria and a target in the management of oxidative stress that could easily lead to aging.