Preliminary antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of Amoora cucullata extractives

Amoora cucullata (Meliaceae), a mangrove plant, has folkloric reputation as a medicinal agent in Bangladesh. In this study, the n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of the stem bark of this plant were subjected to microbiological investigation and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. In case of antimicrobial screening, the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts appeared to be potent in terms of both zone of inhibition and spectrum of activity showing the average zones of inhibition 8 14 mm and 9 16 mm, respectively. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the methanolic extract demonstrated highest cytotoxicity having LC 50 of 0.549 μg/ml, whereas the ethyl acetate and n-hexane extract showed LC 50 of 7.943 and 17.180 μg/ml, respectively.