Antimicrobial, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Phyllanthus niruri linn

Introduction: Phyllanthus niruri is a common herb widely used in home remedies against infectious agents. This study unveils the antimicrobial and therapeutic potentials of P. niruri against Escherichia coli infection.Methods: Ethanol and water extracts of the plant were prepared and investigated for their antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method against eleven clinical isolates. The in vivo study was conducted on albino rats, infected and subsequently treated.Results: The observation showed Ciprofloxacin with the highest (41 mm) sensitivity against P. mirabilis; and lowest (20 mm) against S. flexneri, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and S. aureus. Ketoconazole at 100 mg/mL concentration revealed antifungal sensitivity ranging from 2 to 15 mm. The extracts showed better sensitivity against the bacteria (2 to 24) mm when compared with the fungi species (2 to 12 mm). Phyllanthus niruri extract demonstrated a minimum inhibitory concentration of 25 to 100 mg/mL The albino rats of weight ranging from 83 to 105 g were administered with P. niruri ethanol extract but indicated no toxicity at 1500 mg dose. The packed cell volume, red cell count, total leucocyte count, and serum enzymes of the tested rats were within the normal range. The healing effect was dose-dependence and most effective from 1200 mg/kg to 1500 mg/kg body weight. P. niruri extract produced some level of antimicrobial activity both in vitro and in vivo.Conclusion: Extract from Phyllanthus niruri is effective in vitro and in vivo against Escherichia coli infection. It has no ill effect on the blood circulatory system, liver, and kidney. The bioactive agent present in the extract has proven health benefits, and can be administered as supplement. However, more studies on its chronic toxicity are required.