Abstract
Antibacterial and antifungal activities of different solvents methanolic extracts of roots and leaves of Verbascum thapsus L. were carried out through disc diffusion assay. Five solvents (methanol, n-hexane, n-butanol, ethyl acetate and water) were employed, and five microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Xanthomonas compestris and Candida albicans) were used. In case of leaf extract maximum zone of inhibition i.e 42.3, 48.3, 41.6, 35.8% was observed using ethyl acetate as solvent in 3mg/disc for Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Xanthomonas compestris and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. However in case of Escherichia coli maximum zone of inhibition i.e 52.2% was observed using n-hexane as a solvent in 3 mg/disc concentration. In case of root extract, differential values of inhibition zone were observed for each microorganism. For Candida albicans maximum zone of inhibition (36.6%) was observed using n-butanol in 3 mg/disc concentration. While for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Xanthomonas compestris and Bacillus subtilis ethyl acetate in 3mg/disc proved to be the best solvent showing 59.5% zone of inhibition. Escherichia coli showed maximum zone of inhibition (55.4%) when methanol in 3mg/disc concentration was used. Over all, ethyl acetate (3 mg/disc) has proven to be the best solvent used for fractionation in both the leaf and root extract. Root extract in comparison to leaf showed efficient antimicrobial activity.
