IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST CLINICAL AND PHYTOPATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND FUNGI

The positive results of screening medicinal plants for antimicrobial activity forms primary platform for phytochemical and pharmacological studies in future. The work was undertaken to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of four medicinal plants viz., Sesbania grandiflora, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and Vetiveria zizanioides. Leaves were extracted using water and ethanol as solvents. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against five bacterial and fungal pathogens like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Enterobacter aerogenes and Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium monoliforme, Penicillium sp. Aqueous extracts of S. grandiflora was found to be most effective in inhibiting B.subtilis (23 ± 0.66) while ethanolic extracts showed N. arbor-tristis inhibiting S.typhi (20 ± 0.35). Further aqueous extracts of S. grandiflora showed considerable effect of inhibition against Penicillum sp. (22.63 ± 0.60) whereas ethanol extracts of S. grandiflora was most efficient against Penicillium sp. (24 ± 0.33). All the other plants extracts were also effectual to remarkable extent. The present investigation has thrown a light on the effect of ethanolic leaf extracts of S. grandiflora and N. arbor-tristis against the selected microorganisms which can be further subjected to purification which may act as alternative for synthetic compounds in especially antioxidants and antimicrobial drugs.