Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LEAVES AGAINST BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM DIARRHEA

Dr. Krishan Kumar* and Anita Kumari

ABSTRACT

The enteric diseases are caused by the members of family Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae. These pathogens are named as enteric pathogens which belong to the genera that initiate infection by invading the intestinal epithelium. In the present study, E.coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Staphylococcus was found to be predominat bacterial agents causing diarrhea in children isolated from fecal matter in Kausali. Chemotherapeutic agent like antibiotics kills or stops the growth of susceptible microorganism but in recent year strain develops resistant to antibiotic has become international problems. Plants derived substances have become matter of great interest owing to their versatile application. Medicinal plants are the richest bio-resources of drug of traditional system of medicine, modern medicine, food supplement and folk medicine, pharmaceutical intermediate and chemical entities of synthetic drugs. The present study reported that essential oil extracted from the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum contain antimicrobial compounds which showed an excellent antibacterial activity against E.coli followed by Salmonella, Shigella and Staphylococcus. These results provide a information to use Tulsi leaves derived essential oil to prevent from diarrhea.

Keywords: Diarrhoea, Faecal samples, Children, Ocimum gratissimum.