SNEHAL NIMBHORKAR AND DR. YUGANDHARA RAJGURE
Abstract
Plants are invaluable and versatile reward from the nature which meets variety of human needs. The Indian Ayurvedic literature provide the therapeutic knowledge of native plants. Mimosa pudica is one of the traditional plant, also known as Lajwanti. The plant is rich source of flavonoids, phenols and alkaloids, it majorly possesses antimicrobial and various other pharmacological activities. Ethanol, Chloroform and Aqueous extracts of Mimosa pudica plant were appraised for phytochemical analysis. Also the same extracts were evaluated for microbial sensitivity test against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and fungi through agar well diffusion method. The microorganisms used in the experiment were Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum. Various concentration of plant extracts was used and the standard Ofloxacin (2 mcg) used for bacteria and Fluconazole (25 mcg) for fungi as antimicrobial and antifungal activity respectively. The quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed total phenols and total flavonoids in all three ethanol, chloroform and aqueous extracts of Mimosa pudica plant. Staphylococcua aureus showed maximum zone of inhibition in both ethanol and aqueous than chloroform plant extract. Bacillus subtilis also showed maximum zone of inhibition in aqueous extract of plant, as well as Trichophyton rubrum fungi showed high zone of inhibition in Chloroform and ethanol extract of plant Mimosa pudica. Consequently, the present work concludes that the plant has phytochemical components might have involved in antimicrobial and antifungal activity.