Antibacterial Activity of Gymnema kollimalayanum, A New Plant from Peninsular India

Gymnema kollimalayanum A. Ramachandran and M.B. Viswan (Asclepiadaceae) is a new plant found in Kolli hills, Eastern Ghats, Peninsular India. The present investigation deals with the antibacterial potentials of the aqueous and organic solvents extracts from powdered leaves of G. kollimalayanum were tested against eight Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella boydi, S. brunci, S. dysentriae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Yersinia enterocolitica) and two Gram-positive (Cornybacterium diptheriae and Enterococus faecalis) bacterial strains by disc diffusion method. The organic solvents extracts exhibited better antibacterial activity. The aqueous extracts were found to be inactive against the organisms tested. The result of this study supports the use of plants as therapeutic agents for treat several diseases caused by the pathogenic bacterial populations.