Antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of essential oils of garlic, clove and cinnamon were estimated by using various bacterial pathogens. Among the bacterial pathogens tested against essential oil of garlic, Staphylococcus aureus was found to be highly sensitive followed by E.coli. L.monocytogenes and S.pyogenes were found to be less sensitive. The essential oil of clove was found to be most active against S.aureus followed by E. coli. B.cereus and C. jejuni. The essential oil of cinnamon was also most active against S.aureus followed by E.coli and C.jejuni. Essential oil of cinnamon was found to be active against all the bacterial pathogens tested, when compared to garlic and clove oils. However Staph. aureus, E. coli and C.jejuni were found to be most sensitive to the action of essential oils of garlic, clove and cinnamon. Among the bacterial pathogens tested against essential oils of spices to know the MIC by agar diffusion method, C.jejuni was found to be most sensitive to the essential oil of garlic followed by E.coli, S. typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. L. monocytogenes and Methicillin resistant Staph. aureus were found to be comparatively less sensitive. Essential oil of clove was also found to be highly effective against C.jejuni followed by E.coli, S.typhimurium and S.aureus. Again L.monocytogenes and Methicillin resistant S.aureus were comparatively less sensitive to the action of essential oil of clove. All most all the bacterial pathogens tested were found to be sensitive to the essential oil of cinnamon. However C.jejuni and E.coli were found to be most sensitive followed by S.typhimurium, Staph. aureus and Methicillin resistant Staph. aureus .

As lacking in attention given to the ethnomedicinal plants to be used for the treatment of skin diseases in many areas, an ethnomedicinal study was carried out to enumerate the traditional uses followed to treat skin diseases among the people living in Arasankulam and Kottarakurichi villages located in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The medicinal uses of 24 species belonging to 20 families were reported from the study area. Euphorbiaceae was noted as largest families comprising of 3 species each. Herbs (50.0%) were found more in number than other life forms of plants. Leaves (50.0%) were the mostly used plant part to prepare the medicine and paste (61.54%) was the dominant mode to treat the skin ailments. By this research work, it was also noted that a total of 6 plants were used to heal wound, 4 plants for the treatment of cut, 3 plants each to cure boil and eczema, 2 plants to treat heel crack and 1 plant each for abrasion, chicken pox, dandruff, itch, leprosy, lip crack, scabies, skin allergy, small pox and tumor. Further studies on phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of these plants will contribute new dimensions to these medicinal plants. Keywords: Medicinal plants, Skin diseases, Arasankulam region, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.

Poisonous bites are serious problems in tropical countries like India. Both the tribal and non-tribal people prefer herbal treatment for poisonous bites. In this manner, an ethnomedicinal investigation was carried out to explore the plants used to treat poisonous bites in Thiruppuvanam region of Sivagangai district. By this research work, a total of 16 medicinal remedies prepared from 16 species of angiosperms belonging to 15 genera comes under 13 families are in medicinal utility for the treatment of poisonous bites. It was documented that, 9 plants were used for the treatment of snake bite, 3 plants for the treatment of scorpion sting, 2 for all type of bites, 1 for dog bite, insect bite and rat bite. Among the 16 species recorded, dicots were represented with 11 species belonging to 10 genera of 9 families and monocots were 5 species of 5 genera belonging to 4 families. Aristolochiaceae, Lamiaceae and Liliaceae were found as dominant families with 2 species each (12.5%) and 10 families were noted with single species (each of 6.25%). Regarding the habits of medicinal plants, 8 species cited were herbs. It was also observed that leaves were mostly used plant part (43.75%) to treat poisonous bites. The medicinal preparation was mostly used in the form of extract (62.5%) and the administration of the medicine prepared was mainly taken as drink (64.70%). Musa paradisiaca (UV of 0.85 with 17 use-reports) was the most frequently and popularly used medicinal plant species in the study area. It is necessary to perform phytochemical or pharmacological studies on these traditionally used plants used for medicinal purposes to ascertain their therapeutic efficiencies. Keywords: Ethnobotanical indices, Medicinal plants, Poisonous bites, Thiruppuvanam region, Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu.

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to enumerate the medicinal plants used by the inhabitants for the treatment of cuts and wounds in Athur region of Thoothukudi district from January to February, 2020, among 9 key informants through a semi-structured questionnaire. Present documentation enumerates 28 species of medicinal plants belonging to 27 genera and 19 families used to cure cuts and wounds. Fabaceae (5 species) was found as the best-represented family. Trees were found maximum (14 nos., 50.0%), leaves (56.76%) were the most preferable plant part, plant materials were mostly used in the form of paste (29.76%) and mostly (51.36%) applied topically. More ethnobotanical studies should be encouraged before the traditional knowledge of indigenous people vanishes. Keywords: Medicinal plants, Cut and Wound, Athur region, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.