Antibacterial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants of Kashmir, J&K, India

The study was conducted to find out the activity of some medicinal plants against bacterial isolates. The bacterial isolates from milk samples of infected quarters of cows were investigated for in-vitro drug sensitivity by standard disc diffusion technique (Bauer et al., 1966). Cultural examination of milk samples was done by method described by Quin et al. (2004) in which predominant isolates were Staph. (55.55%), E. coli (22.22%), Strepto. agalactiae (16.66%) and other isolates as 5.5% and were subjected to in-vitro antibacterial sensitivity test to selected herbal extracts and standard antibiotic (cefuroxime) (Table-1). The four different aqueous concentrations of the herbs namely Fumaria indica, Adiantum capillus, Nepata cataria, Levandula stoeches and Borago officinalis collected from registered herbal shops prepared by standard procedure as 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml, 75mg/ml and 100mg/ml were used. The results indicated that aqueous extract of Fumaria indica, Adiantum capillus and Napeta cataria against Staphylococcus aureus, E.coli, Streptococcus agalactia and K. pneumonia exhibited maximum zone of inhibition 20.0±1.21, 21.0±0.19, 13.0±0.37 17.0±0.21; 18±0.41, 12±0.21, 13±0.31, 15±0.31 and 15±0.33, 16.01±0.19 14.09±0.37, 13.31±0.41 at 100 mg/ml respectively which was significantly low as compared to standard drug (cefuroxime) at 30 microgram concentration. Aqueous extract of Levandula stoeches against Staphylococcus aureus and E.coli exhibited maximum zone of inhibition 18.0±0.33 and 13.0±0.141 at 100 mg/ml respectively. Borago officinalis has shown nil to non-significant bacterial growth inhibition activity