Evaluation of Ipomoea reniformis for antimicrobial activity.

Scientific validation of much medicinal flora is lacking in India and still many species are used traditionally. From many years Ipomoea reniformis was studied for its traditionally claimed activity and still it is unexplored. The plant can be further explored for the study of traditionally claimed unexplored activities, as well as isolation and identification of active constituents may lead to new findings. In the present study whole plant of I. reniformis was collected, dried and extracted with various solvents according to solubility index, and finally five extracts were studied by well diffusion assay for their antifungal and antimicrobial effects on both gram positive, gram negative bacteria and a fungal species. The study revealed that ethyl acetate extract was having highest activity that is why fractions of the ethyl acetate extract was prepared by various solvents and again the antimicrobial study was done with each fraction. The ethyl acetate extract and fraction exhibited activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, while the aqueous extracts elucidated antimicrobial activity against only Staphylococcus aureus. The ethanolic and chloroform extracts showed inhibition of Aspergillus niger. The plant showed antimicrobial activity, evidencing the need to conduct further studies that can identify their active components responsible for the activity.