Determination of antibacterial and antifungal activities of endemic tree fern Cyathea Nilgirensis plant extract

Cyathea nilgirensis Holttum, a rare, southern Indian endemic tree fern is found in Kathalekan forest of Central Western Ghats. The preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids. Secondary metabolites identified in the plant material have been reported to have an inhibitory action against pathogenic microorganisms. An experiment was conducted to determine the antibacterial and antifungal activities of Cyathea nilgirensis. The antibacterial activity of plant extracts against the test organisms with varying zones of inhibition ranging from 7.00±1.00 to 10.00 ± 1.00 has revealed the antibacterial potency of the plant. The zone of inhibition of fungi ranging from 7.00 ± 0.50 to 12.50± 0.50, indicates that the plant exhibit antifungal potency.