ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF LAGENARIA SICERARIA CRUDE EXTRACT OBTAINED FROM ITS FLOWERS

Many herbal remedies have been employed in various medical systems for the treatment and management of different diseases. The plant Lagenaria siceraria, a plant belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, has been used in different system of traditional medication for the treatment of diseases and ailments of human beings. The n- hexane extract of Lagenaria siceraria was screened for antimicrobial activity against a wide range of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by disc diffusion method. The results obtained were compared with that of a standard antibiotic, kanamycin. The n-hexane extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (17.25mm), and Salmonella typhi (17.80 mm). But there was no antimicrobial activity against Vibrio cholera, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus.