Antibacterial activity of ten traditionally important medicinal plants against Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) were analyzed by using agar disc diffusion technique. Ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether extracts of the plants were used for the assay and the results revealed that Caeselpinia sappan, Terminalia bellerica and Cassia fistula were effective against pyogenic organisms like MRSA and MSSA.

India is a varietal emporium of medicinal plants and is one of the richest countries in the world with regard to genetic resources of medicinal plants (Bagyalakshmi et al., 2009). Much work has been done on ethano medicinal plants in India. The acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative form of healthcare and the development of microbial resistance to the available antibiotics have led to the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants. The increasing failure of chemotherapeutics and antibiotic resistance exhibited by pathogenic microbial infectious agents have led to the screening of several medicinal plants for their potential antimicrobial activity (Elizabeth, 2005).

The selection of crude plant extracts for screening programs has the potential of being more successful in initial steps than the screening of pure compounds isolated from natural products (Yogisha and Raveesha, 2009). In this regard, the antibacterial activity of ten medicinal plants was assessed by using its crude extract against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Biotechnology Journal, Antibacterial Activity, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, MRSA, Medicinal Plants, Caeselpinia Sappan, Terminalia Bellerica, Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus, MSSA, Microbial Resistance, Biochemical Properties, Bbioactive Compounds.