SCREENING OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF FOUR MEDICINAL PLANTS OF BALOCHISTAN-PAKISTAN

The Balochistan province possesses rich medicinal herbal resources, but has not been evaluated scientifically. Different plants of province or its parts are generally used to treat different ailments of animals as well as human being. In the present study, Crude Methanol Extracts (CME) of four plants of Balochistan (Berberis baluchistanica, Seriphidium quettense, Iphiona aucheri, Ferula costata) have been tested for a wide array of antimicrobial activity against three gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes). and four gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Zones of inhibition of CMEs were determined by disc diffusion method and MIC was tested by agar dilution method and agar well diffusion method. All the plant extracts were found to be effective against all the tested bacteria. Berberis baluchistanica was the most effective one showing higher zones of inhibition and lowest MIC values whereas Ferula costata performed comparatively least activity. Salmonella typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited resistance with the highest rate. These and other medicinal plants of the province have got great potential to be used in research area for the production of different goods in the future.