Original Articles
Nivetha S and Vetha Roy D
Abstract
Medicinal plants being the valuable source of number of drugs, antibacterial and antifungal activity of Azadiracta indica, Lawsonia inermis and Aloe barbadensis leaves against eight bacterial strains and four fungal strains at three different concentrations 100 μg/ml, 1000 μg/ml and 2000 μg/ml was analysed. Fresh samples of henna, neem and aloe vera leaves 50 gms each were collected and grinded thoroughly with ethanol and soaked for an hour. Fresh juice was further filtered off using Whatmann filter paper No.1, dried using water bath and stored below-20° C. The samples were further investigated for its antimicrobial activity using Kirby-Bauer method. Significant activity observed against all the twelve microbial strains. Henna maintains greater susceptibility against the bacterial strains compared to neem, even at its minimum concentration (100 μg/ml). Against gram -ve multidrug resistant E. coli, henna exhibits antibacterial activity equivalent to that of the control. Compared to that of the control, both henna and neem extracts shows better susceptibility against the gram +ve multidrug resistant Enterococcus species. By regular usage of neem, henna and aloevera our defence system will keep us protected against common bacterial as well as fungal infections.