Preliminary antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of n-Hexane extract of Jatropha pandurifolia

Abstract

The plant Jatropha pandurifolia (Euphorbiaceae) has ethnopharmacological reputation of being used as a healing agent in Bangladesh. In this study, preliminary screenings were conducted to look at the antimicrobial susceptibility and cytotoxicity of the plant extract. The n-hexane extract of the plant was subjected to screening for inhibition of microbial growth by the disc diffusion method and the average zone of inhibition was found 12-21 mm at a concentration of 500 μg/disc. The extract was also subjected to brine shrimp lethality bioassay for primary cytotoxicity evaluation and it revealed significant cytotoxicity with LC50 of 4.67 μg/ml. This is the first report of the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of J. pandurifolia.