Abstract

The main objective of this research work is to screen various unexploited plants for their antimicrobial activity as these unexploited or pteridophytic plants are being used ethanomedicinally but, very little work has been done on their antimicrobial aspects. So, to explore the efficacy of these plants, the following research has been carried out. Bacterial strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella arizonae, Salmonella typhiand Staphylococcus aureus were procured from the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh and the aqueous and alcoholic leaves extract of twelve important pteridophytic plants were prepared and tested for their antimicrobial activity against the bacteria selected by Disc diffusion method as suggested by Bauer et al. (1966). It has been observed that, nearly all the leaves extracts have shown inhibitory effect against the bacterial strains selected and some of the extracts were more competent than the selected antibiotic. Our findings provide the novel insights with regards to antimicrobial agents and these could be further enhanced through in vivo studies and isolation and characterization of active constituents for human health. In the present scenario, the use of herbs and herbal medicine is at its peak and majority of researchers are screening higher plants for the same but, very few researchers are considering the lower plants for their antimicrobial potential. Since, these pteridophytic plants are considered to be the disease free plants and are being used ethanobotanically by various tribal communities. These plants are further screened for their in vivo potential as well as for their drug properties.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, pteridophytic plants, leaves extracts, bacteria.