ANTIMICROBIAL INVESTIGATION OF SOME ARID ZONE PLANTS OF RAJASTHAN

In the present study, the inhibitory effect of crude ethanolic extracts from four plants viz. Bauhinia racemosa Lamk (stem bark and roots), Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch. (roots), Kirganelia reticulata (Poir) Baill. (Stem bark) and Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. (whole plant) were undertaken against some test bacteria and test fungi using Disc Diffusion Method. The screening data indicated that the antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extracts of B. racemosa (stem bark and root) inhibited the growth of S. aureus and P. vulgaris and H. integrifolia (roots) was found active against S. paratyphi B. The other two plants were totally inactive in this respect. A comparative study of the fungicidal activity of the four plant species indicated that although all of them exhibited activity against the select test fungi out of which the activity against A. flavus was most significant. Roots of B. racemosa were significantly active against A. niger, F. moniliforme and stem bark was active against R. bataticola. These could be attributed to the presence of racemosol and its derivatives possessing tetracyclic structure, the fungi toxicity of the roots of H. integrifolia was also exhibit good activity against F. moniliforme.