Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the pharmacognostic and antimicrobial studies of Tabernaemontana divaricata Linn. Stem.Methods: The Pharmacognostical studies were performed using standard parameters and antimicrobial studies were based on checker board and disc diffusion technique using various bacterial strains. The antifungal studies were based on the agar slant technique.Results: The transverse section shows the presence of undifferentiated cells known as cortex in the outer region. They are followed by an extended part of cortex, which consists of 7-8 layers of Phellogen, followed by 6-7 layers of Phelloderm. The antimicrobial studies confirmed that the methanolic extract was quite effective for bacterial strains Sh. flexneri type BCH 995, Shigella boydii 8, Sh. sonnei NK 840, Sh. dysenteriae 1, Sh. dysenteriae 9, Vibrio cholerae 1023, V. cholerae 1341, V. cholerae 575, V. cholerae 1311, E. coli RH 07/12, E. coli 18/9, E. coli K88, Enterobacter spp AP596, Staphylococcus aureus ML 267, S. aureus MTCC 96, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 441, Pseudomonas auriginosa AP585 NLF, Bacillus pumilus 8241 and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The maximum antibacterial activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 (zone of inhibition at 800µg/ml is 12.17±0.124 mm), whereas minimum activity against E. coli RH 07/12 (zone of inhibition at 800µg/ml is 10.45±0.063 mm). It was also effective against the fungal strains Aspergillus niger MTCC 281, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Penicillium chrysogenum MTCC 2725.Conclusion: The study of pharmacognostical features of the stem of T. divaricata Linn. May serves as a tool for identification and standardization of the crude drug as per WHO guidelines.Â
