The effect of extracts of Selaginella involvens and Selaginella inaequalifolia leaves on poultry pathogens

Objective:To investigate the antimicrobial activity of some commonly available herbs against poultry pathogens such as Escherichia coli(E.coli) and Pseudomonas species isolated from poultry litter.Methods:The extracts of Selaginella involvens and Selaginella inaequalifolia were tested against E.coli and Pseudomonas isolated from poultry litter by the agar diffusion method.Results:Results indicated that different plant extracts showed inhibitory effects against E.coli(8-13 mm ) and Pseudomonas(6.5-13 mm).The four different extracts of Selaginella involvens and Selaginella inaequalifolia showed similar levels of antimicrobial activity on E.coli. Conclusions:The antimicrobial activities of all the four plant extracts are comparable and their potential as alternatives in the treatment of infections by these microorganisms were present in the poultry litter.Susceptibility testing is conduced on isolates using drugs selected on the basis of their importance to human medicine and use in poultry production.

Preliminary phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on a spike-moss Selaginella inaequalifolia(hook.& grev.) Spring

Objective:To screen the anti-cancer spike-mosses for the presence of various bioactivities and to identify the important bioactive chemicals present in Selaginella inaequalifolia(S. inaequalifolia)(Hook.& Grev.) Spring.Methods:Preliminary phytochemical screening was done by following the method of Brindha et al.Antimicrobial study was carried out by disc diffusion method.Results:Results of preliminary phytochemical screening on five different extracts(petroleum ether,benzene,chloroform,ethanol and distilled water) of the spike-moss S.inaequalifolia show the presence steroids,triterpenes,phenolic group,tannin,sugars and catechin.Alkaloids,amino acids,anthraquinone and reducing sugar did not show any positive result.Among the five different extracts,ethanol and chloroform extracts show the presence of maximum number(4 each) of compounds.The results on antimicrobial studies show that all the three microbes[Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus),Escherichia coli(E.coli) and Candida albicans (C.albicans)]tested are resistant to the ethanol extract and susceptible to petroleum ether extract.The petroleum ether extract shows maximum inhibition with 45 mm of inhibition zone in C.albicans.The inhibition zone in S.aureus and E.coli are 26 mm and 22 mm respectively. Conclusions:The present study shows S.inaequalifolia having potent antibacterial and anticandidal activities.