ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED WEED PLANTS

The present study was aimed at investigating the antimicrobial potential of four selected plants belonging to two different genera i.e Tamarix and Acacia. Both the genera have many weeds plants. Selected plants were Tamarix aphylla, Tamarix dioica, Acacia cyanophylla and Acacia stenophylla. Two different concentrations (1mg and 2mg disc^-1 ) of each plant extracts were subjected for antimicrobial screening against eight pathogenic bacterial and one fungal strain by Disc Diffusion Method. Results showed that all the four plants showed better inhibitory effect at concentration of 2 mg disc^-1 against the tested microbes. Among plants, highest zone of inhibition was shown by Tamarix aphylla which was 81.25 % against Bacillus atrophus (gram positive). Similarly, highest antifungal activity was shown by Acacia cyanophylla against Candida albican which was 72.22%. E. coli was the most resistant bacterium to all plant extracts at both concentrations. It is concluded that all the selected plants had strong antimicrobial potential.