This study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial activity of different solvent extracts (n-hexane, methanol, ethyl acetate and water) of Ayurvedic medicinal herb Kaempferia rotunda L. against six bacterial strains, i.e. S. aureus (MTCC 1144), H. influenza (MTCC 3826), P. aeruginosa (MTCC 2474), S. pneumonia (MTCC 655), S. pyogenes (MTCC 442), and L. acidophilus (MTCC 447) and one fungal organism i.e. Candida albicans (MTCC 227) by the agar well diffusion method. The results of antibacterial study showed that ethyl acetate extract of K. rotunda rhizomes has potential antibacterial activity against L. acidophilus (17.3±0.57mm), S. pneumonia (16.6±0.28mm) and S. pyogenes (16.6±0.28mm). While all extracts showed low antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of K. rotunda revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids and saponins.
