Efficiency of Extracts of two Medicinal Plants of India Against Some Pathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

The bactericidal activities of the aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts of the leaves of two plants used as popular medicine in India were studied. The dried leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera Lam., and Mimosa pudica Linn. were tested in vitro by the disk diffusion method against four bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 2940), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 441), Escherichia coli (MTCC 739), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 2453). The organic and aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera are comparatively more effective than Mimosa pudica. Aqueous extracts of the leaves of all the plants appeared to have less antibacterial activity than the ethanol and acetone extracts. The present study calls for further investigation to isolate and characterize the chemicals attributing antimicrobial property to the plants M. oleifera and M. pudica.