Abstract

In vitro antimicrobial activity of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the leaf and fruit of Rubus sanguineus were investigated against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans using agar well diffusion and microdilution broth assays. This study showed that leaf ethanolic extract exhibited the best antimicrobial activity with zone of inhibition ranging from 20 to 22 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the ethanolic leaf extract range was 1.56 and 12.5 mg/mL while that of methanolic extract range was 0.78 to 12.5 mg/mL. The ethanolic leaf extract exhibited appreciable activity against Candida albicans with zone of inhibition of 20 mm. The anticandida activity was support by MIC tests. In conclusion, the methanolic and ethanolic leaf and fruit extracts of Rubus sanguineus have a significant activity against Gram positive bacteria and Candida but have not shown any significant activity against Gram negative bacteria investigated in this work. Results showed that there is a basis for the traditional use of this plant as a healthy remedy in Jordanian culture.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, Gram positive bacteria, Gram negative bacteria, Candida albicans, Rubus saguineus, Jordan.