ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF FRUIT, SEED AND ROOT EXTRACTS OF CITRULLUS COLOCYNTHIS PLANT

Abstract

Gastrointestinal, skin, pulmonary and cardiovascular problems have been reported all over the world on massive scale. The treatment of these problems has become tough due to genetically modified bacterial strains and fungal infections. The present studied was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of Citrullus colocynthis plant extract. The ethanolic extract of dried fruit pulp, seed, and root was evaluated with respect to anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The anti-microbial profile studied against four bacterial strains (2 Gram negative and 2 Gram positive) while anti-fungal profile studied against four fungal species. All the bacterial and fungal strains used in the study showed sensitivities against the respective extracts. The zones of inhibition ranged between 7 mm to 23 mm, and 6 mm to 23 mm in against bacterial and fungal strains, respectively. The extract of seed found to be less effective against both the organisms. It was suggested from our study that the extract of Citrullus colocynthis may be used in medicines to cure bacterial diseases.