Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Melaleuca decora and Syngonium podophyllum

The present study was aimed to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activities of methanolic extract of Melaleuca decora aerial parts and Syngonium podophyllum whole plant. Agar disk diffusion method was used. The bacteria tested included Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsella pneumonia whereas the fungal strains tested included Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisae. M. decora showed antibacterial activity against four strains being highest for K. pneumonia and E. coli. S. podophyllum showed considerable activity against S. aureus while low activity for B. cereus and P. mirabilis. Both plants exhibited antifungal activity only against S. cerevisae. Results showed that both plants possess potent antibacterial and antifungal activities.