Biological screening of Italian medicinal plants for antibacterial activity

Abstract Some 68 plant extracts from 65 species belonging to 25 families were investigated for antibacterial activity against eight gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria. Of the 68 extracts, 64 (94.1%) exhibited inhibitory effects against one or more microorganisms. Furthermore, among the active extracts, 12 from 11 species exhibited a broad spectrum of activity. Discussion on the probable chemical components responsible for this activity is included.