ANTAGONISTIC MICROBIAL SCREENING OF SHOOT EXTRACTS OF ZEHNERIA SCABRA (L.F.) SONDER

Zehneria scabra is a climber belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae, which has a wide traditional uses. The plant powder is used as curative agent of headache and stomachache when applied externally. Shoot paste also cures skin rashes and itches. Fruits are reported to cure stomachache. Ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and aqueous extracts of the shoot were tested against various pathogenic bacteria by the disc diffusion and streak plate methods. The shoot extracts displayed higher activity against the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus rather than the other bacteria tested. Zehneria scabra shoot parts elevated range of inhibition capability against Staphylococcus aureus being one of the casual organisms for skin diseases.