Antifungal and antibacterial activity of the different parts of mature Benincasa hispida against various microbial infectious agents

In this study we assayed on antimicrobial activity of peel, pulp, waxy coating of Benincasa hispida. Various parts of the plant are reported as antibacterial agents worldwide. Leaves, flower, root, seed are the most studied elements as antibacterial agent. Some fruits are also proved as antibacterial agent and used as herbal medicine as well as nutritional supplements during disease. Different parts of mature and immature winter melon fruits were extracted with different organic solvents viz., methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform. These extracts were subjected to test against selected pathogenic bacterial (Bacillus subtilis IFO 3026, Sarcina lutea IFO 3232, Xanthomonas campestris IAM 1671, Escherichia coli iw 3310 IFO 3007, Pseudomonas denitrificans KACC 32026, and fungal (Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger KTCC 1700, Collectotrichum melongenae) strains using the well diffusion method. The waxy coating and peel of mature fruit of B. hispida extracts has strong antibacterial activities than immature fruit. In these cases, the minimum inhibitory concentration was 128 μg/ml. Ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts of waxy coating of B. hispida showed inhibition rate against fungal infection 43% and 33%, respectively against F. oxysporum but there is no inhibition against A. niger, C. melongenae. These results suggested that. So, the B. hispida would be a potential source that may help to develop natural antimicrobial agents.