Evaluation of Antibacterial Activities of Ruta graveolens, a Highly Medicinal Plant Against Human Pathogens

Abstract

The present study was designed to make a comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activities of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Ruta graveolens which is used medicinally in the treatment of different infectious diseases and disorders against several human pathogenic bacterial strains. The results showed that aqueous extracts had no antibacterial activity against any of the test strains. Rest all the solvents possessed activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative strains. MIC results revealed that B. brevis, Bacillus lichenoformis and B. cerus were inhibited at a concentration of 0.312 mg/l by methanol extracts. The study indicates that Ruta graveolens represents an untapped source of potentially useful antimicrobials and therefore worthy of further study.