Abstract

Screening Of Six Medicinal Plants Used In North Indian Unorthodox Medicine For Pathogenic Microorganisms

Author(s): Atul Kaushik, Jeevan Jyoti Kaushik, Richa Kulshrestha, Nand Lal

Six Indian medicinal plants Enicostema axillare Blume, Melia azedarach, Citrus maxima, Hibuscus rosa-sinensis, Adhatoda zeylanica and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis used by local peoples for the treatment of several ailments of microbial and non-microbial origins were investigated for in vitro antimicrobial potential. Fresh plant materials were collected from local areas of northern region of India. Water and ethanol extracts of the shredded plants were obtained by standard methods. The Bacterial cultures used were E.coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysentareae, Klebseilla pneumoneae and Enterococcus fecalis. Susceptibility testing and Phytochemical screening of the plant extracts were performed by standard procedures. Controls were maintained for each test batch. Both water and ethanol extracts of all the selected plants were effective on most of the organisms. The Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the ethanol and water extracts of these plants were obtained between the range from 0.242 to 24.832 and 6.20 to 50 mg/ml respectively.