Antimicrobial Activity of Rumex Nepalensis and Urtica Diocia

Two herbaceous plants named Urtica diocia and Rumex nepalensis were selected for checking their antimicrobial activity. Also observing their opposite action on humans when extracts were applied on skin. The extracts were prepared in 95 percent ethyl acetate, 70 percent methanol and boiled water. After drying the leaves and roots of selected plants, the U. diocia extracts were prepared by using 95 percent ethyl acetate and boiled water while the R. nepalensis extracts were prepared in 70 percent methanol. U. diocia have the inflammatory response when applied on skin while the Rumex have opposite action by removing the symptoms of Urtica extracts when applied on skin. The anti microbial activity was also tested for both plants extracts against selected strains of organisms which were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniae and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) for extracts of Rumex nepalensis. The clear zone on nutrient agar when leaves extract of R. nepalensis were applied against these organisms which were E. coli 15mm, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 15mm, Candida albicans 13mm, MRSA 9mm and Klebsiella pneumoniae 7mm. Roots extracts of R. nepalensis shows 19mm E. coli, 9mm Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 16mm Candida albicans, 12mm MRSA and 12mm for Klebsiella pneumoniae clear zones were appeared on nutrient agar. E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, MRSA and Enterococcus faecalis were tested for the extracts of U. diocia. The U. diocia extracts in boiled water were sensitive against these selected organisms but the ethyl acetate extracts shows the clear zone which were 9mm E. coli, 10mm Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 19mm B. cereus, 17mm MRSA and 13mm E. faecalis due to leaves extract of U. diocia while roots extracts of U. diocia shows 10mm E. coli, 12mm Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 13mm B. cereus, 7mm E. faecalis zones appeared against these organisms. Only MRSA are resistive to roots extracts of U. diocia.