ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF THE LEAVES, BRANCHES AND PEELS OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST VARIOUS PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industries as the active compounds present in the plants are the source for the synthesis of new drugs. In this study, four ethanolic extracts in the concentration of 5, 10 and 20 mg/ mL were prepared from Allium cepa, Polylthia longifolia and Punica granatum plant parts. These extracts were tested against five different pathogenic cultures. All the four extracts showed significant activity against the tested pathogens with variable efficacies. Among the tested medicinal plants, Punica granatum peels and Allium cepa were found to be effective against all pathogenic bacteria. Results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosawas inhibited by the extracts of Punica granatum peels at all three concentrations. Moreover, Klebsiella and E. coli were also inhibited by the extract prepared from branches of Polylthia longifolia at all tested concentrations while the leaves extract of Polylthia longifolia inhibit the pathogenic cultures at the concentration of 20 mg/ mL.