Evaluation of Root and Leaf Extracts of Glycrriza Glabra for Antimicrobial Activity

Glycyrrhiza glabra is a traditional herb which grows in various parts of the world. It is a very sweet, moist, soothing herb that detoxifies and protects the liver. It also has a powerful anti-inflammatory action and also finds applications in arthritis and mouth ulcers. In the present study, antibacterial activity of Glycyrrhiza glabra root and leaf extracts were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Entereobacter cloacae and Klebsiella sp. using agar well/disc diffusion assay. The extracts obtained by cold maceration method and Soxhlet method could not inhibit the test bacteria. Both the leaf and root extracts prepared using reflux extraction method exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However these were found to be ineffective against Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella sp. The MIC of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots were 3μg/ml and 1μg/ml for E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins in leaf and root extracts and the concentration was found to be 3.161 and 2.455mg/ml, respectively at 530nm. This could be the possible explanation for the inhibitory effect of the extracts against the test organisms. 