Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of pavonia odorata willd.

The essential oil from the rhizomes of Pavonia odorata Willd was extracted in an yield of 0.2% by hydrodistillation, and screened for antibacterial and antifungal activity against ten bacteria and thirteen fungi using paper disc agar diffusion technique. The oil was found to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Diplococcus pheumoniae, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp at 0.55 concentration. The oil was also found to inhibit the growth of keratinophilic fungi Trichophyton mentagreophytes and Chrysosporium indicum along with Aspergillus sp., Botrydiplodia sp. Fusarium solani etc.