Biological screening of Eclipta prostrata for antibacterial activity

Medicinal plants have been significant to traditional healing practices and drug discovery due to their bioactive compounds. In the present study, Eclipta prostrata, known for its rich composition of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides, was evaluated for antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion method. The ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant was fractionated into petroleum ether, benzene, and ethyl acetate fractions. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Raoultella planticola. The results showed that the whole plant extracts and their fractions exhibit significant antibacterial effects against the selected bacterial strains, and revealed significant inhibitory effects with the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrating the highest activity against all tested bacteria. These results highlight the potential of Eclipta prostrata as a natural antibacterial agent, encouraging further research to explore its therapeutic applications.