Antibacterial effect of leaf extract of Ricinus communis

The antibacterial activity of aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Ricinus communis were studied by the agar diffusion method. The ethanolic extract produced the greatest antimicrobial activity and the aqueous extract the least. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive to the extracts while Bacteroides fragilis was the most resistant. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the extracts ranged between 60% (w/v) and 100% (w/v). Thus the extracts of Ricinus communis could be useful as a source of antibiotics against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.