From the Indian traditional medicines 78 plants were selected on the basis of their use in the treatment of infectious diseases. Different concentrations of 80% ethanol extracts were tested, using the agar dilution method, against four bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and, using the agar-well diffusion method, against two fungi: Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. In the lowest tested concentration of 1.6 mg/ml, 10% of the plant extracts were active; 44% in a concentration of 6.25 mg/ml and 90% of the plant extracts were active against at least two bacteria in a concentration of 25 mg/ml. Only 13% of the plant extracts were active against at least one fungus in a concentration of 50 mg/ml.