It is the ability of the plant leaf extract to inhibit the growth or completely kill the pathogenic bacteria. If it inhibits the growth of the pathogens, it is said to be bacteriostatic and if it completely kill the pathogens, it is said to be bactericidal..
Medicinal plants are plants that exhibit therapeutic effect (s) on living organisms. They achieve this through different ways:
- acting directly on the pathogen; to inhibit, divert their actions, make them less/ none virulent, or kill them.
- boosting the immune system of the host against the pathogen
Antimicrobial activity refers to the lethal action of any substance against microorganisms in the form of inhibiting or killing them.
The antimicrobial activity of medicinal plant leaf extracts against pathogenic bacteria is the ability of these extracts to inhibit or kill pathogenic bacteria, often through the presence of bioactive compounds such as secondary metabolites with antibacterial properties. There are several mechenisms of this antimicrobial activity.
It's important to note that the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts can vary widely depending on the plant species, the extraction method, and the concentration of bioactive compounds in the extract. Additionally, scientific studies typically involve detailed testing, such as agar diffusion assays or minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests, to determine the effectiveness of plant extracts against specific bacterial strains.
Pathogenic bacteria such as S. typhi, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, etc., generally harm the human body in various ways by releasing harmful toxins inside the body. Plants have the natural power to kill bacteria due to several secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, etc., present inside their root, stem, or leaf.
Therefore, extraction of root, stem, or leaves using various solvents can be used to kill such harmful bacteria.
The ability of plant extract to inhibit growth or kill microbes such as bacteria or fungi, is called its "antimicrobial activity".
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