Research Article

**Antibacterial Activity and Toxicological Evaluation of Semi Purified Hexane Extract of Urtica dioica Leaves**

Herbs are largely unexplored source of drug repository. Medicinal plants have great potential for providing novel drug leads with novel mechanism of action. The present study describes the antibacterial activity, phytochemical profile and toxicological evaluation of Urtica dioica. U. dioica leaves were subjected to solvent extraction by hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol and water. All the extracts were tested for antibacterial activity against five clinical isolates of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria by disc diffusion method. Hexane extract showed good antibacterial activity against all the five bacterial strains, hence it was further purified using silica column chromatography and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the semi purified fraction-B (F_B) of hexane extract was determined by serial tube dilution method. F_B showed MIC value of 31.25, 250, 7.81, 31.25 and 125 μg mL^-1 against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Shigella flexneri, respectively. F_B was subjected to GC-MS analysis in search of potent antibacterial compound(s). Neophytadiene (26.97%) butyl tetradecyl ester (9.53%), Dibutyl phthalate (7.45%), Bis (2-ethyl hexyl) maleate (8.80%) and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid (9.89%) were the major constituents which may be responsible for the antibacterial activity of F_B of U. dioica. Sub-acute oral toxicity of F_B was carried out in wistar rats at doses of 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg kg^-1 Body Weight (b.wt.) to assess index of safety. F_B showed MIC value as low as 7.81 μg mL^-1 against Salmonella typhi, exhibiting that a promising antibacterial agent is present in this fraction. Hematological and biochemical parameters showed that the F_B was safe at tested concentrations. Hence further purification of F_B is required to obtained potential antibacterial compound.

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R. Singh, S.A. Dar and P. Sharma, 2012. Antibacterial Activity and Toxicological Evaluation of Semi Purified Hexane Extract of Urtica dioica Leaves. Research Journal of Medicinal Plants, 6: 123-135.

URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=rjmp.2012.123.135

Research Journal of Medicinal Plants

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R. Singh

S.A. Dar

P. Sharma

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Research Article

**Antibacterial Activity and Toxicological Evaluation of Semi Purified Hexane Extract of Urtica dioica Leaves**

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