Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants, Craetva magna (Linn.), Pongamia glabra (Linn.) and Areca catechu (Linn.)

Antimicrobial potential in the extracts of three plants. viz. Craetva magna (Linn.), Pongamia glabra (Linn.), Areca catechu (Linn.) that are commonly used by the Kani Tribes of Tirunelveli district, was traced in the present study. The extract of the plant Craetva magna (Linn.), inhibited the growth of pathogenic microbes. Soxhlet extract using chloroform as solvent showed a maximum inhibition of zone formation for the species Salmonella paratyphi (14 mm), and Vibrio cholerae (13 mm) at a concentration of 50 µg/ml. The crude extract of the plant Pongamia glabra (Linn.), showed maximum inhibition for the species Salmonella paratyphi (8 mm), and Vibrio fischeri (8mm) at the concentration of 50 µg/ml. In the Soxhlet-chloroform extract, of Areca catechu the maximum inhibition zone was observed for Vibrio cholerae (14 mm), and Salmonella paratyphi (13 mm). In the present study it was observed that the extracts of the bark of the Craetva magna (Linn.), Pongamia glabra (Linn.), Areca catechu (Linn.), had a broad spectrum antifungal activity.