Botany

ABSTRACT The use of Marsilea minuta L. as sedative has been referred in many text of Ayurveda for the treatment of in-somnia and other mental disorders. The five organic solvent extracts (acetone, DMSO, ethanol, chloroform and petroleum ether) of rhizome of M. minuta were tested for phytochemical screening for the major derivative of terpenoids, flavonoids, sugar, quinone, coumarin, tannin, saponin, phenols and anthroquinone. The same five organic solvent extracts were tested for their potential antimicrobial activity against chemically important standard reference bacterial strains and fungal strains. The bacterial strains studied were Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyrogenes and Escherichia coli and the fungal strains were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Trichophyton rubrum. The phytochemical screening of extracts answered for the major derivatives of flavonoids, quinine, Tannins, Saponins and anthroquinone. The antibacterial activity of the rhizome extracts has better inhibition at high concentration. The DMSO, ethanolic, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts showed good inhibition against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptocccus pyrogenes respectively. Simi-larly antifungal activity of the extracts showed better inhibition at high concentration. The DMSO and ethanolic extracts showed good inhibition against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Trichophyton rubrum. Preliminary phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of rhizome extract of Marsilea minuta,