Screening of Indian Plant Extracts for Antibacterial Activity

Abstract

Methanol extracts of 22 Indian plants belonging to 12 families were studied for their antibacterial activity. All the examined plant extracts were effective against more than one organism, and the results are comparable with antibiotics. Out of the plants tested, Blumea lacera. (Burm f.) DC (Asteraceae), Canscora diffusa. (Vahl) R. Br. (Gentianaceae), Cassia alata. L., C. biflora. L., C. fistula. L. (Ceasalpiniaceae), and Putranjiva roxburghii. Wall (Euphorbiaceae) extracts were found to be more effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus. was found to be susceptible to 68% of the tested plant extracts, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa. showed resistance to most of the plant extracts.

Keywords:

• Agar diffusion method
• antibacterial activity
• gram-negative bacteria
• gram-positive bacteria
• methanol extracts