Antimicrobial activity and toxicity of Quisqualis indica

The plant Quisqualis indica (Compositae) has ehnopharmcological reputation of being used as a healing agent in Bangladesh. In this study, preliminary screenings were conducted to look at the antimicrobial susceptibility and cytotoxicity of the plant extract. The extractives of the plant were subjected to screening for inhibition of microbial growth by the disc diffusion method. The zones of inhibition demonstrated by the n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and aqueous soluble partitionates of the methanolic extract ranged from 8 - 15 mm, 8 - 18 mm, 12 - 20 mm and 10 - 16 mm, respectively at a concentration of 400 ${\mu}g$/disc. All the extractives were also subjected to brine shrimp lethality bioassay for primary cytotoxicity evaluation. Here, the carbon tetrachloride soluble materials demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity with $LC_{50}$ of 0.826 ${\mu}g$/ml, while n-hexane, chloroform and aqueous soluble partitionates of the methanolic extract revealed the $LC_{50}$ of 1.254, 3.866 and 5.366 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. This is the first report of the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity Q. indica.