Abstract

Plants continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating the ailments of humankind. In the present research work different parts (root, leaf and flowers) of Calendula officinalis were screened for potential antibacterial activity against some important bacterial strains, namelyEscherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes andAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The antibacterial activity was determined in aqueous, alcohol, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts using agar disc diffusion method. Although all the plant parts showed significant anti microbial activity but the highest antibacterial activity was observed in petroleum ether extract of dried leaves against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Phytochemical analysis was also done.

Key words: Antibacterial activity, Calendula officinalis, petroleum ether extract, Klebsiella pneumoniae.