Antimicrobial activity of certain Indian medicinal plants used in folkloric medicine

Fifty medicinal plants belongings to 26 families were studied for their ant imicrobial activity. Among 50 plants tested, 72% showed antimicrobial activ ity. About 22 plant extracts from 15 families exhibited activity against bo th Cram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Fourteen plants belonging to 1 1 families did not show activity against any of the bacteria tested. Only n ine plant extracts showed antifungal activity. The bulb extracts of A. cepa and A. sativum exhibited activity against both filamentous and non-filamen tous fungus. Eight plant extracts belonging to seven families exhibited bot h antibacterial and antifungal activity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.