Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial assessment of leaf extracts of excoecaria agallocha l. A mangal species of Bhitarkanika, Orissa, India

Organic extracts of leaf of Excoecaria agallocha L., a mangal species from Bhitarkanika, Orissa, India were evaluated for antimicrobial activity along with their phytochemical screening. All the four crude extracts (chloroform, ethanol, methanol and aqueous) tested, showed significant antimicrobial activity against both gram positive and gram negative microorganisms with zone of inhibitions ranging between 1-21 mm. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most susceptible strain to all the four extracts. Further evaluation of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) showed values ranging between 5-7 mg/ml and 5->7 mg/ml respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids and anthroquinone glycosides in almost all extracts along with other active ingredients with the exception of flavonoids that was present in the aqueous extract alone.