Phytochemical And Pharmacological Evaluation of Traditional Medicinal Plantsfor Antimicrobial Activity

Ancient medicinal plants have been in use across cultures for the treatment of microbial infections. The recent upsurge in antibiotic resistance has created interest in the discovery of plant-based remedies with antimicrobial activity. In this research, the phytochemical profile and antimicrobial potential of three traditional medicinal plants, Azadirachta indica (Neem), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), and Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), which are well known for their ethnomedicinal uses, were examined. The objective was to evaluate their potential as alternative antimicrobial agents. Phytochemical screening presented the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins in different concentrations in the plant extracts. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the agar well diffusion method, and statistical analysis proved differences in antimicrobial potency among the plant extracts to be significant. Withania somnifera showed the greatest antimicrobial activity, with Ocimum sanctum showing intermediate activity, while Azadirachta indica showed the lowest activity. There was a high positive correlation between the content of alkaloids and antimicrobial activity.