Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Activities of Powered and Ethanaol Extracts of Scent Leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) and Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii)

In this manuscript, the authors explore the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of extracts from two commonly found and used leaves from species Murraya koenigii and Ocimum gratissimum L., Ethanolic extracts were obtained by maceration and were then concentrated. Serial dilutions of the extracts were done for testing. The extracts were tested for growth inhibition of four bacterial and two fungal strains. Visual examination of growth inhibition, compared to standard antibiotic controls, provided minimum inhibitory concentrations for the two extracts against the six microbial strains. In another experiment, the authors test the anti-inflammatory properties of the two leaf extracts in the standard rat-paw model of inflammation. Results from growth inhibition studies suggest that the two leaf extracts inhibit the growth of all six microbes, with varying levels of sensitivity. Results from anti-inflammatory studies are more impressive, with leaf extracts inhibiting inflammation at levels competitive with the standard drug, indomethacin.