EFFICACY OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA AND MOMORDICA CHARANTIA AGAINST CLINICALLY IMPORTANT PATHOGENSGEETHA SUBRAMANIAM, KUSHAALINI THRUMARAN, ONG GHIM HOCK AND LALITA AMBIGAI SIVASAMUGHAMAbstract Microorganism have developed resistance against various antibacterial drugs, and to overcome this alarming situation medicinal plants are studied as the possible alternatives for the currently used antibiotics. Ethanolic extracts from the dried fruit of Momordica charantia and dried leaves of Azadirachta indica were tested against seventeen clinically important pathogens that cause various infections. Gram positive bacteria (57%) that were tested in this study were found to be more susceptible compared to Gram negative bacteria as all of the strains gave a promising zone of inhibition against the plant extracts as measured in the diameter of the zone of inhibition. The exception was P. aeruginosa which showed high susceptibility against both extracts. The results showed that these plants exhibit significant antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria tested and P. aeruginosa. The resistance testing was also as promising as these bacterial isolates did not develop resistance towards the plant extracts in this assay. Thus, these plants have high potential to be developed as suitable alternatives to antibiotics to avoid the spread of resistance. |