Abstract

The importance of medicinal plants in traditional healthcare practices provides opportunity to new areas of research. However, information on the uses of plants for medicine is lacking from many interior areas of District Mansehra. Keeping this in view, the present study was initiated. This study attempts to shade lights on the comparative pharmacological efficacy of Berberis lycium (medicinal plant) and drug penicillin G. The pharmacological activities of both the B. lycium and penicillin G were determined by disc diffusion method with incubation period of 24 to 48 h at 37°C. It was observed that, B. lycium showed excellent activity against the tested microorganism, Escherichia coli andProteus (80 to 100%) and good activities against the tested microorganisms pseudomonas and staphylococcus (60 to 70%). While penicillin G showed excellent activity against all tested microorganisms. It is recommended that, B. lycium can be used for the treatment of diseases caused by tested microorganisms because of its excellent and good activity. It is also observed that, B. lycium do not have any adverse effect on those people who have this in long practice.

Key words: Berberis lycium, penicillin G, disc diffusion, pharmacological activity.