• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2006

The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction of Excoecaria agallocha L. (Euphorbiaceae) stem bark was investigated in this study by wheat rootlet and shoot growth inhibition, and antimicrobial bioassay. The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction showed high inhibitory effect on both the wheat rootlet (82-89%) and shoot growth (85-90%) compared to control. The methanol extract showed a better and dose related inhibition on both the rootlet and shoot growth compared to residual methanol fraction. The $IC_{50}$ value of methanol extract for rootlet and shoot were $2.88\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $2.32\;{\mu}g/ml$, and of residual methanol fraction for rootlet and shoot were $7.91\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $4.45\;{\mu}g/ml$. The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction did not show any antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms of clinical isolates Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureous, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus subtilis. The plant has the potential to be a source of novel cytotoxic compound(s).