Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF COSTUS SPECIOSUS. (J. KOIENG) SM.

*Meenakshi Vaidya and Hitesh Shingadia

Abstract

Costus speciosus belongs to family Costaceae and is commonly called crepe ginger. This spice is also used in India to control diabetes and it is known that diabetic people eat one leaf daily to keep their blood glucose low. C. speciosus is rich in protein, iron and anti-oxidant components such as ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, etc. It has medicinal properties like anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antihyperlipidemic, antispasmodic, and antimicrobial activities. For the present study Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus & Streptomyces pyogenes were used to check the antimicrobial activity of C. speciosus. The results show that there is antimicrobial activity in all the test organisms and there is potential to use it as an antimicrobial drug. The maximum activity was observed in E. coli and least activity was observed in Streptomyces pyogenes.

Keywords: Costus speciosus, antimicrobial activity, B. subtilis, E.coli, S. aureus & S. pyogenes.