PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ESTIMATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CITRUS PEEL

Abstract

The present research was conducted in Lab. to evaluate the efficacy of aqueous and methanolic extract of Citrus reticulate fruit. The antimicrobial activity of C. reticulate fruit peel extracts were tested against ten bacterial and five fungal strains. The stock solution of extract was prepared and 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% concentrations of aqueous and crude extracts were used for antimicrobial assays by agar well diffusion technique. Afterwards results of zone of inhibition (mm) of different bacterial and fungal agents at various concentrations of C. reticulate are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Extracts obtained from the organic solvent and water showed different antibacterial activity with the same bacterial strains. The antibacterial efficacy of methanolic peel extract against pathogenic bacteria showed varied level of inhibition. Moreover, in case of methanolic peel extract the growth of Syntrophospora sp., A. xylinum, M. visconsensis, X. nematophilis and Oscillospira sp. were exhibited maximum inhibition zone ranging from 36.0-47.0mm. However no antifungal activity was observed against aqueous and solvent extracts. The results of the phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids, phytosterols and steroids. The success of present investigation could lead to the development of cheap, easily available and relatively safe bactericides from citrus plant.