Four medicinal plants, Acorus calamus Linn., Alpinia galanga Willd., Desmodium triquetrum D.C. and Vitis discolour Dalz., were investigated for potential to inhibit cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. The alcohol extract of Desmodium triquetrum was found to be most active. The chloroform and alcohol extracts of Desmodium triquetrum and Acorus calamus, and the petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of Alpinia galanga contain flavonoids. These are possibly the active principles responsible for their anti-bacterial activity.

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