Investigation of Antimicrobial Activity of Cordia Macleodii and Leucas Ciliata Leaves

This study was carried out with an objective to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal potential of leaves of Cordia macleodii and Leucas ciliata. Antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of the leaves was carried out against three Gram negative bacteria – Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and two Gram positive bacteria – Bacillus Subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The antifungal activity of the extracts was evaluated on two common pathogenic fungi – Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. The testing was done by the agar plate method. Zones of inhibition of extracts were compared with that of standard Chloramphenicol for antibacterial activity and Nystatin for antifungal activity. The extracts showed antibacterial and antifungal activities comparable with that of standard against the organisms tested. The results showed that the inhibition of the bacterial growth was more pronounced on E. coli and S. aureus as compared to the other tested organisms. Both the extract showed the antifungal activity against C. albicans.