J. Senthamil Selvi

Coleus aromaticus, an Indian medicinal plant used to treat various respiratory ailments was screened for their antimicrobial activity against a few respiratory pathogens. Acetone, ethanol and water extracts were prepared from the leaves of the chosen plant. The antimicrobial activity was determined against pathogens associated with respiratory conditions i.e. E.coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, Staphylococcus aureus,Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Burkholderia cepacia and Candida albicans. The leaf extracts demonstrated significant activity in the disc diffusion assay and the zones of inhibition ranged from 5mm to 14mm, while the MIC values ranged from 0.312mg/ml to 20.0mg/ml. Hence, the antimicrobial activity recorded for the plant extracts validates their traditional uses to treat various respiratory infections.