EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ASAFOETIDA

This study was carried out with the objective of the antibacterial and antifungal activity of chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts of Asafoetida. Antibacterial activity was carried out against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli and the antifungal activity was evaluated against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans. The testing was done by well diffusion method and evaluation was done by detecting zone of inhibition (in mm) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Studies were perfomed with two different concentrations of all extracts (2 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml). Zone of inhibition were compared with standards like Ciprofloxacin (0.1 mg/ml) and Fluconazole (0.1 mg/ml). The results showed that ethyl acetate, ethanol, and methanol extract has significant antimicrobial activity and highest activity was reported with methanolic extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration of methanolic extract, ethanolic extract and ethyl acetate extract against most of the test microorganisms were 1 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml, 2 mg/ml respectively.