Detection of Antimicrobial Compounds by Bioautography from Star Fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi Linn.)

Abstract

Indonesia has many plants that has been used as medicine, like star fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi L.). This study aims to determine the antibacterial activity of starfruit and to determine its active compounds against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by TLC-Bioautography. The fruit of A. bilimbi was extracted by maceration method using 96% ethanol while the diffusion agar method was used to determine the antibacterial activity. The results showed that ethanol extract and partition at a concentration of 10% could inhibit E. coli and S. aureus. Identification of the active chemical compounds from ethanol extract which was thought to have antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, was terpenoids at Rf = 0.11 and 0.81, respectively. While the n-hexane partition identified as terpenoids which can only inhibit E. coli at a Rf value of 0.78. It can be concluded that A. bilimbi fruit extract can be used as an alternative in inhibiting of bacterial growth.