Antimicrobial activity of medicinal oil plants against human pathogens from Hyderabad Karnataka Region

Abstract

Plant essential oils are potential source of antimicrobials of natural origin. Oil extracted from twenty nine medicinal plants were screened for their antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic bacteria and fungi causing skin diseases. The antimicrobial activity of 29 oils were investigated against Escherichia coli, Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans by agar well diffusion method, Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of oil (%v/v) done by agar well diffusion method. Most of the essential oils showed a relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested organisms. Of the essential oils studied, The maximum antimicrobial activity was shown by Calotropis gigantae followed by Semecarpus anacardium, Azadirachta indica, Datura stromium, Coriandrum sativum, Luffa acutangula, Momordica cymbalaria, Gliricidia sepium, Hyptis sauveolens and Ocimum sanctum are more inhibitory activity against tested bacteria and fungi. C. gigantae showed good antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria and fungi with MIC values ranging from 0.62 to 40 mg/mL using inhibitory zone estimation. The effects of the plant extract were compared with those of Ketoconazole for fungi and Streptomycin sulphate for bacteria. The results obtained suggest that C. gigantae has antimicrobial activity. These results support the plant oils can be used to cure skin diseases and plant oils may have role as pharmaceutical and preservatives.