IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF STEM AND ROOT OF RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA AGAINST DIFFERENT BACTERIA

Medicinal Plants are the good source of natural antimicrobial agents. The main aim of present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of stem and root of Rauwolfia serpentina against six microorganism, Powdered stem and root of plant were extracted with acetone, chloroform and methanol and streptomycin used as positive control. The antibacterial activity of Rauwolfia serpentine was detected by using disc diffusion method and agar well diffusion method on the following bacteria- Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus fusiformis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. luminescens. The experiment reported that R. serpentina Root methanol extract shown 14.86 ± 1.11 highest antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa through well diffusion method. Whereas root chloroform recorded 13.46 ± 1.28 highest antibacterial activity against E. coli through disc diffusion method, maximum zone of inhibition 22.66±0.52 mm was found for the positive control, streptomycin through well diffusion method. Further studies should be undertaken to reveal the correct mechanism of action of antimicrobial effect to identify the active ingredients which can be used in drug development program.