SCREENING OF MURRAYA KOENIGII (CURRY) AND CAMELLIA SINENSIS (TEA) LEAVES FOR ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST STRAINS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA AND CANDIDA SPECIES AND THEIR PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Antimicrobial activity of extracts leaves of Murraya koenigii (Curry) and Camellia sinensis (Tea) plants prepared in water, methanol and ethanol by cold maceration method were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (3) strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3) and Candida species: Candida albicans (2 and one strain each of Candida tropicalis, and Candida parapsilosis. The plant materials were procured from Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Methanol and ethanol extracts of both the plants produced significant zones of inhibition against all the bacterial and fungal pathogen used in the study in the antimicrobial assay. However, aqueous extract did not show any significant activity. In this assay, the susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus to Gentamicin and Ampicillin, Pseudomonas species to Ciprofloxacin and Candida species to Amphoterecin B was also assessed for comparative analysis.  All the Staphylococcus strains were sensitive to Gentamicin but resistant to Ampicillin, but Ciprofloxacin had significant inhibitory effect against Pseudomonas strains except one, PA-39. All the strains of Candida species were resistant to Amphoterecin B. Phytochemical screening of Murraya koenigii (Curry) leaves revealed the presence of tannins in aqueous extract and quinones, coumarin and sugar in both the alcoholic extracts. Camellia sinensis (Tea) had sugar in the aqueous extract. Tannins, saponins, sugar and quinone were demonstrable in alcoholic extracts using phytochemical screening tests.