Antibacterial studies were conducted by utilizing three species of weeds belonging to Euphorbiaceae, such as Euphorbia hirta, Euphorbia geniculata and Croton sparsiflorus. The soxhlet extraction was done by using the solvent absolute alcohol to obtain the whole plant extract. The extract was dried and dissolved in alcohol and DMF at different concentrations of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% along with control, which was devoid of extract. The samples were observed for inhibition zone, which were indicative of antibacterial property by plating four pathogenic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus species by well plate assay method. The results obtained revealed antibacterial activity by all the plants. The degree of antibacterial property varied between different plants and also on the type of bacteria used for the experiment. The extracts of Euphorbia hirta showed maximum antibacterial activity against a majority of the bacteria tested compared to the other two plant species, while Croton sparsiflorus was proved to be more effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa at specific concentration. The results of the antibacterial activity of these common weeds are discussed.
Historically, plants have provided a source of inspiration for novel drug compounds. The use of plants for treating various diseases is an age-old practice in a large part of the world especially in developing countries where there is dependence on traditional medicine for a variety of diseases. Long before the advent of modern medicine, herbs were the mainstream remedies for nearly all aliments. Microorganisms and medicinal plants are rich sources of secondary metabolites, which are the potential sources of useful drug and other useful bioactive products (Dung and Loi, 1991). Interest in plants with antimicrobial properties has revived as a result of current problems such as resistance, associated with the use of the antibiotics. The primary benefits of using plant-derived medicines are that they are relatively safer than synthetic alternative, offering profound therapeutic benefits and more affordable treatment (Iwu et al., 1999).
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