STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF AYURVEDIC AND UNANI MEDICINE AND THEIR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH COMMERCIAL ANTIBIOTICS

The antimicrobial activity of Ayurvedic medicine (Draksharishta, Kanakasava, Jierbadyarishta) and Unani medicine (Alvasin and Carmina syrup) against different microbes (Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus sp., Enterococcus sp., Acinetobacter sp.) were investigated using the agar well method. Ayurvedic medicine were showed more effective antimicrobial activity than unani medicine. In case of Ayurvedic, Jierbadyarishta showed 15mm zone of inhibition against Proteus sp., Enterococcus sp., Acinetobacter sp., Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella sp. and 10mm zone of inhibition was observed against Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. On the other hand, Draksharishta showed 15mm zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella sp., Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus sp., Acinetobacter sp. whereas 17.5mm and 10mm zone of inhibition were found against Proteus sp., and Escherichia coli respectively. Kanakasava showed 17.5 mm zone of inhibition against Proteus sp., Enterococcus sp. In all the cases, commercial antibiotic showed less antimicrobial activity than Ayurvedic medicine against all the test organisms. All of Ayurvedic medicine showed the MIC values ranged from 1- 100 μl/ml while the MBC values ranged from 0.1-10 μl/ml. This study is an indication that the test Ayurvedic medicine is more challengeable than the test Unani medicine.