STUDIES ON ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF Jatropha curcas L. AND Moringa oliefera LAM

In this study the ethanolic and chloroformic extracts of leaves and seeds of Jatropha curcas and Moringa oleifera were subjected to preliminary antibacterial and antifungal screening used agar disc diffusion method against six standard organisms (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger). The antimicrobial activities of reference drugs were determined against the standard microorganisms. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by agar plate dilution method. The result reveals that all extracts showed activity against all microorganisms tested the inhibition zones ranged from 13.5 to 20.5 mm for bacteria and from 13.5 to 22.5 mm for fungi. The MICs of the leaves chloroformic extracts of the two plants were the lowest one among all extract tested (12.5 mg/ml). The combination between Jatropha curcas and Moringa oleifera leaves and seeds extracts showed inhibition zone ranged from 13.5 to 23.5 mm for bacteria and from 14 to 19.5 mm for fungi. The synergistic effect between different plants extracts was assessed used checkerboard assay to obtained Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI). The combination between leaves ethanolic extracts of the two plants showed synergistic effect against Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger and between seeds chloroformic extracts the synergistic effect showed against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (FIC index <0.5). These results were revealed the antimicrobial activity of Jatropha curcas L. and Moringa oleifera extracts and their uses in traditional medicine.