abstract
Background/aims: Present study evaluates the potential of three different Indian plants against drug resistant clinical pathogens, which are already known to provide relief in microbial infections. Methods: A total of nine extracts from leaves of Arum maculatum, Tinospora cardifolia and Andrographis paniculata were investigated to evaluate their antibacterial activities against two reference strains of human pathogenic bacteria. The antibacterial activities of the ex- tracts were assessed by agar well diffusion method and minimal inhibition concentration (MIC). The efficacy of the extracts was compared to commercially prepared antibiotic (Streptomycin)discs.TheextractshowingantibacterialactivitywasfractionatedbyTLCand the purified active fraction was chemically characterized by different phytochemical tests. Results: Methanol extract of A. paniculata leaves exhibited strong in vitro antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria including clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuber- culosis, Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Phytochemical investigations of TLC purified active fraction from this extract showed the presence of terpenoids in it. Conclusion: The study concludes that the terpenoids present in methanol extract of A. paniculata leaves have enough potential to kill drug resistant Gram positive bacteria. Copyright ª 2013, JPR Solutions; Published by Reed Elsevier India Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.