Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Euphorbia hirta (L.) Extracts from Malaysia

Abstract

The present study was aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of various extracts of Euphorbia hirta. The ethanolic extract exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhi with MIC value of 0.031 mg/ml. In contrast, hexane extract appeared to be the least active extract as its inhibition potency was been observed only on Proteus vulgaris. Dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts demonstrated moderate activities with MIC values in the range between 1- 0.5 mg/ml. Interestingly, all the extracts exhibited no cytotoxic effect against Vero cell line. The results showed E.hirta extracts possess promising antimicrobial properties.