In vitro antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of Jatropha curcas roots

Jatropha curcas is an ornamental plant which is also employed to cure various infections in traditional medicine. The hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of this plant were analysed phytochemically and screened against different microorganisms responsible for various infections especially sexually transmitted diseases. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of many secondary metabolites including steroids, alkaloids and saponins. The extracts and purified fractions displayed potent antimicrobial activity against the target organisms giving MIC as low as 0.75 μg mL-1 The results confirmed the potency of this plant in treating infections including sexually transmitted infections. © 2007 Asian Network for Scientific Information.