STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF Rosa indica AGAINST GRAM POSITIVE AND GRAM NEGATIVE MICROORGANISMS

Herbal medicines are a valuable and readily available resource for primary health care and complementary health care systems. Undoubtedly, the plant kingdom still holds many species of plants containing substances of medicinal value that have yet to be discovered; though large numbers of plants are constantly being screened for their antimicrobial effects. These plants may prove to be a rich source of compounds with possible antimicrobial activities, but more pharmacological investigations are necessary. The present study reveals the antibacterial potential of crude extracts of different parts of Rosa indica. Extracts from almost all parts of the plant showed antibacterial potential and produced zone(s) of inhibition thus; it should be further studied to determine the active component (s). Furthermore, Gram-negative bacteria were found to have more susceptibility as compared to Gram-positive bacterial species. This is probably due to the differences in chemical composition and structure of cell wall of both types of microorganisms. Data also showed that some antimicrobial substances could be extracted by organic solvents, suggesting that organic solvents are clearly better solvents of antimicrobial agents.