Antibacterial activity of Acalypha indica L.

Hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from the leaves of Acalypha indica were tested against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. All the extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive organisms with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) between 0.156 to 2.5 mg/ml. Among the Gram-negative bacteria, only the Pseudomonas aeruginosa was susceptible to the extracts.