Spices and herbs in the sub-continent are considered significantly beneficial in traditional medicines. For ages, people have been using these plant extracts to add flavor to their cooked food as well as for medicinal purposes. We compared the effects of different plants' aqueous extract of 10% concentration with human gut simulated as well as human gut non-simulated conditions on the growth of Shigella flexneri, a pathogenic bacterium. In pure culture studies, the growth of Shigella flexneri was suppressed in the presence of Cinnamon (Cinnamonum verum), Onion (Allium sepa),            Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Garlic (Allium sativum), Mint (Mentha) and Carom (Trachyspermum ammi) extract. On the other hand, Black seeds (Nigella sativa) and Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) extracts significantly enhanced the growth of Shigella flexneri.

However, Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum) and Ginger bulb (Zingiber officinale) extract neither significantly enhanced nor suppressed the growth of Shigella flexneri. The data was observed after 48 hours of incubation at 37°C by taking an optical density of 600nm with the help of a spectrophotometer. Gastrointestinal simulatory conditions were given artificially under a controlled environment, and it was found that the growth of Shigella flexneri was decreased, indicating that the consumption of native plant extracts is beneficial in suppressing the growth of the pathogenic bacterium. The indigenous plant extracts exhibited the capacity to inhibit the proliferation of a pathogenic bacterium, specifically Shigella flexneri, which ultimately proved beneficial outcomes for maintaining healthy gut microbiota and gastrointestinal ailments.

Keywords: Plant extracts; GIT Simulations; Millipore filter; Shigella flexneri; Spectrophotometry.