Abstract

Lindernia crustacea (L.) F. Muell is one of the commonly used medicinal plants native to India, Indonesia and Malaysia. In the present investigation antibacterial activity of leaf and stem petroleum ether and methanolic extracts was performed at 25 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, 75 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml concentrations and anthelminthic activity of leaf methanolic extract was performed at 25 μg/ml, 75 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml concentrations. The powdered leaf and stem were extracted by soxhlation and the phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed for detection of phytoconstituents. The leaf petroleum ether and methanolic extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, tannins and glycosides, whereas the stem petroleum ether and methanolic extracts showed alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids and tannins. Antibacterial activity was performed by cup and plate method using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with Penicillin G as standard. Antibacterial activity was not found in both stem and leaf extracts. Anthelminthic activity was performed using Indian earthworm, with albendazole as standard drug. The leaf methanolic extract showed significant anthelminthic activity at 100 μg/ml with paralysis time of 58±3.978 and death time of 79±4.796 as compared with standard drug. The anthelminthic activity of methanolic extract might be due the presence of phytoconstituents as identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.