ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED HERBAL EXTRACTS

Methanolic extract of oleoresins of Araucaria bidwilli Hook: and aerial parts of Cytisus scoparius Linn. Were screened for antimicrobial activity against two bacterial strains-Bacillus subtilis (Gram Positive) and Escherichia coli (Gem negative), and two fungal strains – Candida albicans and crytococcus neoformans by two-fold serial dilution technique. The results showed that all the microorganisms used were sensitive to the extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for A. bidwilli were found to be 31.25 μg/ml for Bacillus subtilis and 500 μg/ml for all other organisms used in the study. In case of C. Scoparius, the MIC values were 250 μg/ml for B. Subtilis and 500 μg/ml for allthe other strains used. However, in comparison the ampicillin (MIC: 62.5 μg/ml), and Amphotericin-B (MIC: 125 μg/ml ), the activities of both the extracts were less except A. bidwilli against B.Subtilis.