Antibacterial Activities of Some Folk Medicinal Plants of Eastern Ghats

Antibacterial activity in the crude extracts of the selected parts (roots/ leaves/ fruits/ seeds/ bark) of different traditional folk medicinal plants of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh was examined. Of the 14 plants studied only 10 plants showed various levels of antibacterial activity against Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Klesbsiella pneumonia & Proteus vulgaris) bacteria with the diameters of growth inhibition zone in the range of 10-25mm. However, Abelmoschus moschatus (Fabaceae), Thespesia populnea (Malvaceae), Abutilon indicum (Malvaceae) and Amaranthus spinosis (Amaranthaceae) have not shown any antimicrobial activity in the extracts with solvents such as methanol, 95% ethyl alcohol and methanol: chloroform: water (MCW - 12:5:3) mixture. Eclipta prostrata (Compositae), which is used as folk medicine, showed antibacterial activity only in the ethyl alcohol extract of its leaves. Present studies indicate that the ten plants, which showed antibacterial activity, may be used as good sources for the isolation of the active principle(s) for therapeutic applications.