In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Berberis lycium against Clinical Isolates

Abstract

Berberis Lycium is medicinally important plant. Most species of genus Berberis are used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The objective of the present study is to assess the antibacterial activity of methanolic and aqueous root extracts of Berberis lycium. In vitro antimicrobial activities were investigated by using the agar well diffusion method and disc diffusion method. The zones of inhibition produced by extracts were recorded against selected test isolates (Bacillus, Micrococcus, S.aureus, Salmonella, Proteus, Klebsiella, E.coli, Shigella, Acinitobacter and Pseudomonas). Methanolic extract was active against all bacteria except Shigeella, whereas aqueous root extract was active against Bacillus, Micrococcus, S.aureus, Salmonella, Proteus, Klebsiella and E.coli. Results showed that the methanolic extract has significantly inhibited the growth of selected microorganisms as compared to aqueous extract. These plant can be further subjected for the isolation of active compounds and the development of new drugs that are effective for the treatment of different diseases.