ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF SOME HERBAL PLANTS OF THE RAJASTHAN DESERT: AN OVERVIEW

Rajasthan desert is a potential source of herbal plants. From this arid region twelve herbal plants like Corchorus depressus, Corchorus
tridens,Grewia tenax, Capparis decidua, Crotalaria burhia, Euphorbia caducifolia, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Achyranthes aspera,
Cocculus pendulus, Phyllanthus niruri, Clitoria ternatea , Tephrosia purpurea were screened for their antimicrobial properties.
Ethyl ether and alcoholic leaf extracts of all these selected herbal plant species showed positive reactions against bacterial pathogens
i.e. Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive), Escherichia coli (Gram negative) and a fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Due to
presence of some secondary products which are responsible for antimicrobial activity, these herbal plant species can be used in drug
and pharmaceutical industries.