IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MOMORDICA CHARANTIA LEAVES

The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of aqueous and methanol extracts of Momordica charantia leaves. In preliminary phytochemical analysis we observed glycosides, alkaloids, phytosterols, saponins, phenolic compounds, proteins, fats and fixed oils and flavonoids, and thin layer chromatography was also performed. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis by using stokes disc diffusion and well diffusion methods. Methanolic plant extract showed a maximum zone of inhibition in E.coli by disc method but in well diffusion method Bacilli and Klebsiella showed maximum inhibitory activity. The antioxidant activity of the plant extract was also determined by DPPH and ABTS methods using ascorbic acid and gallic acid as standards respectively. IC50 values were also calculated