Antimicrobial activity of Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine and Pergularia daemia Linn.

The antimicrobial efficiency and minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts ofHygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine (Acanthaceae) and Pergularia daemia Linn. (Apocyanaceae) were evaluated against nine bacterial species like (Bacillus cereus,Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhi, Proteus vulgaris and Shigella flexneri) and two fungal species (Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans). The susceptibility of the microorganism to the extracts of these plants were compared with each other and with selected antibiotics. All these plants were effective against three or more of the pathogenic microorganisms. This in vitro study corroborated the antimicrobial activity of the selected plants used in folklore medicine.   Key words: Activity index (AI), total activity (TA), disc diffusion methods, microbial pathogens, folklore medicine.