title: Antibacterial activity of some folklore medicinal plants used by tribals in Western Ghats of India.
abstract: A series of 30 Indian folklore medicinal plants used by tribal healers to treat infections, were screened for antibacterial properties at 10 mg/ml concentration by using disc diffusion method against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Twenty plant species showed activity against one or more species of bacteria used in this assay; among them the leaf extracts of Cassia occidentalis and Cassia auriculata exhibited significant broad spectrum activity against B. subtilis and S. aureus. Ten plant species were not found active against all tested bacteria. These results were compared with results obtained using standard antibiotics, chloramphenicol (30 microg/disc) and streptomycin (30 microg/disc) which served as a reference for inhibition zone diameter.
authors.affiliation: Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Samy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ignacimuthu
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D007194:India; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011514:Proteus vulgaris / Q000187:drug effects; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents