Antimicrobial and anti-prostate cancer activity of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and black pepper (piper nigrum L.) used in typical Pakistani cuisine

Plant extracts have been used as an active antimicrobial compound since long. the present study was intended to validate the antimicrobial,antidiarrheal and anticancer activity of turmeric (curcuma longa l.) and black pepper (piper nigrum l.),used in pakistani cuisine to enrich flavour and to treat infectious wounds. their crude ethanol and methanol extracts were tested against five important bacterial and fungal strains. both extracts showed maximum antibacterial activity against b. subtilis,e. coli and s. aureus. all alcoholic extracts were competent enough to reduce the growth rate of m. canis and a. flavus up to 35%,with no inhibitory influence on candida species and f. solani. these extracts fully inhibit growth of pc3 cells. moreover,partially purified lectin,from curcuma longa l. with a molecular weight of 17.3 kda might be useful to treat patients as a considerably cheap herbal drug which can be prescribed to poor people efficiently at an affordable cost. copyright 2017 zoological society of pakistan.