Antimicrobial Activity of Root Extracts of Cyperus rotundus (Linn) using Diarrhoea Inducing Microbes

Due to the development of antibiotic resistance and the outbreak of infectious diseases caused by resistant pathogenic bacteria, the pharmaceutical companies and the researchers are now searching for new unconventional antibacterial agents. Hence, there is an ever-growing need to develop new antimicrobial compounds. In the present study various medicinal plants were selected to check the antimicrobial activity and Cyperus rotundus (linn) was found to have the best activity against microbes. Pet ether extract, chloroform extract and methanol extract were screened for their antimicrobial activity against various microbes which are responsible for inducing diarrhoea viz. Staphylococcus aureus, bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejunir using agar well diffusion method. Methanolic extract at the dose of 100 μg, have shown good antibacterial activity where as Methanolic extract at the dose of 80 μg have shown moderate activity, using Loperamide as a standarad drug, against Staphylococcus aureus bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni with zones of inhibition ranging from 19 mm to 24 mm. It might be concluded from the present study that the potential of this herb to produce useful antimicrobial compounds is great and must be better explored