Abstract | Crude extracts and a fatty acid, octadec-7-en-5-ynoic acid (1), from the root bark of Capparis zeylanica Linn. (Fam. Capparidaceae) were screened for their antibacterial activities against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Among the crude extracts, chloroform extract showed good activity against all test organisms. The fatty acid (1) isolated from chloroform extract exhibited antibacterial activities against test organisms except E. coli. The activities were compared to a standard antibiotic- kanamycin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1, determined by serial dilution technique, were found to be 64 μg/ml against Bacillus subtilis and Shigella dysenteriae. The cytotoxic activities of crude extract and fatty acid (1) were observed by brine shrimp biassay and LC50 value of the compound was found to be 6.27 μg/ml. |
---|