Study of Calotropis gigantea R. Br. Extracts on Growthand Survival Dynamics of Selected Pathogenic Microorganisms

The aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaves, apical buds and flowers were prepared and used to study the effect of Calotropis gigantea extracts on growth & survival dynamics of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicansandXanthomonascampestris. Microbial growth and survival dynamic profiles in the presence of solvent extracts in broth cultures were obtained and in most of the cases the flowers and apical buds extracts have also shown the maximal growth reduction in addition to the leaves, but in some cases growth was rapid and accelerated than the control growth curves. Calotropis gigantea containing active metabolites such as mudarin, anthocyanins, calactin, calotropin, 18, 20-epoxy-cardenolides, non-protein amino acids, protease inhibitors, constitutive α-amylase inhibitors, lectins etc. may be the ones responsible for the obtained growth and survival dynamics in microbial broth culture. Over all the study has provided the potential of Calotropis gigantea as a source for biopesticides and future antibiotics.Keywords Calotropis Gigantea, Medicinal Plant Extracts, Antibiotic Source, Flower Extracts, Microbial Growth and Survival Dynamics