Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Traditional Plants

Traditional medicinal plants have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential, particularly due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals. This study aims to investigate the phytochemical constituents and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of selected traditional plants used in ethnomedicine. Preliminary phytochemical screening was conducted to identify the presence of key compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and phenolics. The antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method against various pathogenic microorganisms, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Results revealed that the tested plant extracts possessed significant phytochemicals and exhibited varying degrees of antimicrobial efficacy, suggesting their potential as natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. The findings support the traditional use of these plants in treating infectious diseases and warrant further investigation for isolation of specific active compounds and development of novel antimicrobial agents.