PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SIDA ACUTA AND EUPHORBIA HIRTA

The present study was carried out to determine the qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals and possible antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of S.acuta and E.hirta. The phytochemicals detected were alkaloids, tannins, saponin, reducing compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds and glycosids in moderate amounts. The antibacterial activities of crude extracts the weeds was determined against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus faecalis, E. coli. Among the tested isolates, E. coli and S. faecalis were the most susceptible while K. pneumonia was the most resistant to the extracts. The above selected weeds were shown by in vitro assays to be a source for natural antibacterial agents.