Author(s): Krishna M.P, Rinoy Varghese, Mahesh Mohan, A.A. Mohamed Hatha

Abstract: The use of plant in treatment of infectious diseases is common in traditional medicine. On the basis of ethno pharmacological and taxonomic information, antibacterial activity of aqueous extract of different parts (leaf, root, shoot and flower) of Acmella paniculata were determined by agar diffusion-method against some human pathogenic bacteria. The antibacterial screening of aqueous extract carried out in vitro against the following bacteria viz., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The results of the present study showed that the aqueous extracts of flower and leaf showed relatively high activity against the tested pathogens and theroot showed comparatively low antibacterial activity. Root showed moderate activity against the tested pathogens. Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were the most resistant strains on Acmella paniculata extracts. A maximum inhibition zone of 27 mm and 24 mm showed by flower and leaf extract respectively againstSalmonella typhi. The present screening result demonstrated that the Indian traditional medicinal plant Acmella paniculata aqueous extracts has potent antibacterial activity and the studied plant may be new source for novel antibacterial compound discovery for treating drugs resistant human pathogens.