Moringa oleifera (Lam.) – (Moringaceae) is commonly known as horseradish tree or drumstick used as phytomedicine such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antidiabetic, antifertility, antiulcer and antitumor. Moringa oleifera (Lam.) root was successively extracted with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform, ethanol and aqueous extract were tested for antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Penicillium sp., Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans by disc diffusion method. Ethyl acetate extract showed high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18.2 ± 0.2 mm). Chloroform extract were ineffective against Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. Aqueous extract showed maximum number of inhibition against Pencillium sp., (13.1 ± 0.2 mm) than other extracts and Aspergillus niger were ineffective in all the extracts except aqueous extract. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, steroids, tannins, cardioglycosides, aminoacids and proteins.
1 Research and Development Centre, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore- 641 046, Tamilnadu, India 1, 2 Department of Bioinformatics, Karpagam University, Coimbatore-641021, Tamilnadu, India 3 Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam University, Coimbatore-641021, Tamilnadu, India *4 Department of Advanced Zoology, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Unit, Loyola College, Chennai-600034, Tamilnadu, India. Received on: 05-12-2010; Revised on: 14-01-2011; Accepted on:09-03-2011