Antimicrobial activity of herbal disinfectant on pathogenic bacteria isolated from hospital

The rapid global spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) hospital-acquired pathogens, particularly those within the ESKAPE group, has severely limited the efficacy of conventional antibiotics. This study investigates the antimicrobial potential of methanol extracts from Eucalyptus globulus (Nilgiri), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Ocimum tenuiflorum (Tulsi), and Tinospora cordifolia (Gulvel) against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Using the disk diffusion method, E. globulus exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect (2.5 cm zone), followed by A. indica (2.0 cm). Phytochemical analysis suggests these effects are driven by secondary metabolites like alkaloids and phenolic acids, which disrupt bacterial membranes and inhibit biofilm formation. These findings support the integration of botanical bioactives into modern therapeutic protocols to combat antibiotic resistance.