In vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of methanolic and aqueous extract of Acorus calamus L. and Tinospora cardifolia L.

Medicinal plants are used as therapeutic agents as well as nutritive supplements by traditional practitioners. There is need for the study to substantiate the use of herbs in combating diseases caused by microbes. Hence study has undertaken to identify the antibacterial antifungal effect of aqueous and methanolic extract of Acorus calamus [AC] rhizome and Tinospora cardifolia [TC] stem. Results: At 100 μg/ml concentration, methanolic extract of TC and methanolic extract AC and aqueous extract of AC have shown the zone of inhibition observed against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) was 18mm,19mm 15mm; Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) was 24mm,20mm 14mm; Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) 19mm, 16mm, 13 mm; Candida albicans (ATCC 90028) 7mm,10mm, respectively. But, aqueous extract of TC did not show zone of inhibition against any of above mentioned microbes. Both the AC rhizome and TC stem extracts did not show any zone of inhibition to MDR strains. Conclusion: Study shows that both aqueous and methanolic extracts of AC are effective antimicrobial effect whereas only the methanolic extract of TC has shown the antimicrobial effect. But both the extracts of AC and TC were not effective against MDR strain. Study substantiates the use of Acorus calamus [AC] rhizome, Tinospora cardifolia [AC] against the infectious diseases by traditional practitioners.