Antimicrobial Activity of Strychnos nux-vomica Linn and Cassia angustifolia Linn

The antimicrobial effect of some selected Indian medicinal plants Strychnos nux-vomica and Cassia angustifolia, were selected. The solvents used for the extraction of plant leaves were n-butanol, methanol and distilled water. The invitro antimicrobial activity was performed by agar well diffusion method. The most susceptible gram-positive bacteria was Staphylococcus and Salmonella while other most susceptible gram negative bacteria was klebsiella pneumonia and fungal species namely Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. The n-butanol extract of plant Strychnos nux-vomica and Cassia angustifolia, inhibit all the bacterial and fungal strains investigated. The most active extract was compared with the standard antibiotics, penicillin, streptomycin and ampicillin with 100mg disc. In the present study Strychnos nuxvoimica and Cassia angustifolia showed maximum inhibition against the fungal and bacterial organisms tested. Thus the n-butanol plant extracts could be used to control the above microbes.