Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Alocasia fornicata (Roxb.)

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the antibacterial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and cytotoxic activities of petroleum-ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts of leaves, stolons and ethanol extract of the roots of the plant Alocasia fornicata (Roxb.) from the family Araceae. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method and then MIC was detected using the serial dilution technique. The various parts of the plant were also assessed for cytotoxic activity using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Results: All crude extracts, except petroleum ether extract of the leaf and stolon showed moderate-to-good levels of antimicrobial activity against most of the tested bacteria, with an average zone of inhibition of 8-20 mm. The MICs were detected using the serial dilution method and the results ranged from 64 μg/ml to 256 μg/ml. All crude extracts displayed considerable general toxicity toward brine shrimps. The chloroform extract of the leaf, ethyl acetate extract of the stolon, and ethanol extract showed good cytotoxic activity and the LC 50 values were found to be 13.98 μg/ml, 12.26 μg/ml, and 12.81 μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion : From the above context, it may be concluded that the plant A. fornicate may be a potential source for the development of traditional medicine, such as, a safer antibiotic and also as an anticancer agent.