2014, Vol. 2, Issue 3, Part A

author(s)
Rekha Jadon, Shruti Dixit

abstract
The following study was conducted to investigate thePhytochemical extraction and antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants on different microbial strains. Juicy extracts of different medicinal plants including, Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Allium sativum (Garlic), Allium cepa (Onion), Emblica officinalis(Amla) and Benincasa hispida(Petha)were tested using the agar-well diffusion method for their antimicrobial activity against the common bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilisandStaphylococcus aureus and fungal pathogens Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum. The susceptibility of the microorganisms to the extracts of these plants was compared with each other and with selected antibiotics by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones. The antimicrobial activities of these plants were discussed according to their phytochemical components. Among five plants tested Allium sativum (Garlic) was found to be the most effective against all pathogens at 100 ul/well. Emblica officinalis(Amla) extract exhibited activity against E. coli, B. subtilis and S. aureus while the remaining medicinal plant extracts showed less or no activity. A qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed for the detection of alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, tannins and reducing sugars. The present study will be successful in identifying a candidate plant with different antimicrobial activity which could be further exploited for isolation and characterization of the novel phytochemicals in the treatment of infectious disease, especially in light of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms and the need to produce more effective antimicrobial agents.