Comparative study of antimicrobial activity of in-vivo and in-vitro generated Withania somnifera leaf extracts against some known human pathogenic bacteria

Withania somnifera is one of the most valuable medicinal plants used in human and veterinary disorders. The present work was proposed to consider the possibility of the antimicrobial effect of in-vivo and in-vitro generated leaf extracts of W. somnifera against some known bacterial strains and the chance of utilizing the constituents present there for the preparation of pharmaceutical products. This is achieved through the zone of inhibition studies and minimum inhibitory concentrations. For this work, four known bacterial strains were used. Among them, two were Gram-positive namely Streptococcus pyrogens and Streptococcus mutans, and two were Gram-negative, namely Salmonella typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae. The inhibition zones of different plant extracts were then compared with standard antibiotics like Neomycin, Kanamycin, and Gentamycin. In comparison to ethanolic extract, methanolic plant extract produces better results. Again, in-vivo generated plant extracts are comparatively better than in-vitro generated plant extracts. The methanolic extract shows maximum antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans, followed by Salmonella typhimurium. For all the plant extracts, Vibrio cholerae shows the least inhibition zone. These opportunities can build up innovative knowledge in the research of medicinal products.