Antibacterial activity of Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw

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 antimicrobial aspects. So, to explore the efficacy of these plants, the following research has been carried out. Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the plant parts of Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw were tested against the growth of some human and plant pathogenic bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella arizonae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus. Near all the extracts were found effective against these bacteria. The positive results so obtained were compared with that of the Tetracycline reference standard antibiotic. It was found that extracts when mixed in equal proportion with the antibiotic were more effective against bacteria than the antibiotic alone.