Determination of Antimicrobial Activity of Corchorus olitorius Leaf Extracts

BACKGROUND/AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activity of the Corchorus olitorius (C. olitorius) leaf extracts, obtained from different regions of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. MATERIAL and METHODS A total of seven samples of seven different brands of the dried plant material (Corchorus olitorius leaves) were collected from Lefkosa, Kyrenia, Guzelyurt, Lefke, Iskele, and Gazimagusa. The leaf extracts were extracted with the methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and hexane solvent (1: 10 [weight/volume]) at room temperature for 3 days under shaking conditions. After evaporation, the samples were suspended in methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and hexane at the final concentration of 100 mg/mL. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method. The negative control included pure ethanol, methanol, chloroform, and hexane for each respective sample (methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and hexane extracts). The positive control included tetracycline for S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and B. subtilis; ciprofloxacin for E. coli, Klebsiella spp., and E. cloacae; nystatin for C. albicans; and teicoplanin for E. faecalis. RESULTS Antimicrobial activity was only displayed by hexane leaf extracts toward B. subtilis and S. aureus. CONCLUSION At the end of this study, it was observed that the methanol, ethanol, and chloroform extracts of the C. olitorius leaf displayed no antibacterial activity. Only one of the extracts, the hexane extract, showed the antimicrobial activity against both B. subtilis and S. aureus. Therefore, the leaf of C. olitorius can be used to treat people having infections caused by S. aureus and B. subtilis