Antimicrobial Activity of Vitex Negundo Linn. (Nirgundi) Leaves Extract

Background: Drug resistance to human pathogenic bacteria has been commonly reported from all over the world in recent years. Therefore there arises a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Aims: To evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Vitex negundo Linn. (Nirgundi) leaf in vitro on both gram positive and gram negative organism. Material and Methods:Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract of Vitex negundo Linn. leaves was carried out by adopting well diffusion method upon pure culture of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-25923) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC- 27736) bacteria procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). In the present study the concentration of 20 mg/ml, 40 mg/ml, 60 mg/ml, 80 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml of leaf extract was used. Results: The result showed the antimicrobial activities against all the above bacterial pathogens studied. The maximum zone of inhibition observed for S.aureus was 15 mm at the concentration of 80 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml and for E. coli and K. pneumoniae maximum ZOI noted was 12 mm and 11 mm at 100 mg/ml concentration respectively. Conclusion: The results suggested that the leaf extract of Vitex negundo Linn. indeed possessed signi?cant antimicrobial activity against all the bacteria tested but the effect was greater towards S aureus.