Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Activity of Extract of Leaves of Cissus quandrangularis L. and Cissus rotendifolia

The study investigates the comparative antimicrobial activity of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts from the leaves of Cissus quadrangularis (CQL) and Cissus rotendifolia (CRL). Both plants, known for their medicinal value due to secondary metabolites like flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and phenols, were evaluated against four bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus) and four fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Candida albicans, and Fusarium oxysporum). Methanol extracts demonstrated higher bioactivity than ethyl acetate extracts. CRL methanol extract exhibited the highest antibacterial efficacy, producing inhibition zones of 17 ± 0.3 mm at 500 mg/L against B. cereus. CQL methanol extract showed moderate activity with an inhibition zone of 18 ± 0.4 mm against B. cereus. For antifungal activity, CRL methanol extract was most effective, with inhibition zones reaching 19 ± 0.1 mm against F. oxysporum. CQL ethyl acetate extract displayed the lowest inhibitory zones across all strains. This comparative analysis highlights the potential of CRL methanolic extract as a superior antimicrobial agent. The presence of bioactive compounds in both species emphasizes their potential for developing non-toxic herbal drugs against pathogenic microorganisms. Further isolation and characterization of these compounds are recommended for future therapeutic applications.