Antimicrobial activities of crude leaf extracts of Acalypha wilkesiana

Water, ethanol, chloroform and hexane extracts of Acalypha wilkesiana leaves were investigated for in vitro antimicrobial activities by agar-diffusion and tube-dilution techniques. The water and ethanol extracts inhibited the growth of standard and local strains of bacteria and fungi including Staphylococcus aureus, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. The aqueous extract did not exert any inhibitory action on Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis while the ethanol extract was active. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts ranged between 0.25 and 32 mg/ml, while the minimum cidal concentrations were between 1.0 and 64 mg/ml. The aqueous extract was found to be static in action while the ethanolic extract was uniformly cidal in effect.