Synergistic Effect of Herbals and Nanoparticles - Zinc Oxide on Silkworm Pathogens

Acalypha indica L. is an annual herbaceous weed and widely distributed throughout the tropical region of India. It has been wound healing activity, antibacterial activity and antiurolithiatic activity. The herbal plant Murrayakoenigii have been used as analgescis, astringents, antidysenterics or febrifuges in folk medicine in China and other Asian countries. The antibacterial responses of Zinc oxide (ZnO) against Staphylococcus sp. SA 3were investigated. The acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of A. indica showed minimum inhibitory activity4 ±0.31mm, 10±0.18 mm and 6±0.23 mm respectively and maximum inhibitory activity 8±0.15 mm, 20±0.37 mm and 12±0.14mm at different concentration (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 µl) against the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus sp. SA 3. The acetone and methanol extracts of M. koenigii showed minimum inhibitory activity 6±0.25 mm and 6±0.25 mm and maximum inhibitory activity 10± 0.18 mm and 8±0.15 mm. The ethyl acetate extract of M. koenigii did not showed inhibitory activity. In the combined effect of acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of A. indica and ZnO showed minimum inhibitory activity 4±0.31 mm, 10±0.13 mm and 4±0.31 mm respectively and maximum inhibitory activity 10± 0.13 mm, 22± 0.30 mm and 8±0.15 mm respectively. The combined effect of acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of M. koenigii and ZnO showed minimum inhibitory activity 16±0.08 mm and 6± 0.23 mm. The ethyl acetate extract of M. koenigii showed no inhibitory activity and maximum inhibitory 20± 0.37 mm, 2± 0.04 mm and 10± 0.13 mm respectively. The GC-MS analysis of methanol extract of A. indica showed the presence of 8 phytoconstituents and the nanoparticle ZnO impregnated ethyl acetate extract of A. indica showed the presence of 11 phytoconstituents.