Abstract:
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are an age old problem in the human civilization. UTIs are generally caused by several pathogens, amongst them the most commons are Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus. UTI pathogens are gradually becoming drug resistant for the indiscriminate use of synthetic drug and also for self medication. A number of medicinal plants may have potential effect on this disease. The present study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial activities of two medicinal plants viz. Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale against three UTI causing bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus. The antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts were carried out by agar well diffusion assay. The study indicated that the diameter of inhibition zones (DIZ) ranging from 9 to 29 mm with the highest zone observed against E. coli of Z. officinale and A. Sativum. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the plant parts showed the presence of active compounds such as phenolics, steriods, alkaloids, glycosides, and flavonoids. This study clearly indicated that there are some human edible plants in the worlds, having antimicrobial properties nearly similar to that of the market available drug.
