In this study the antimicrobial activity of the extract from leaves of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) was evaluated in comparison with benzoic acid. The $70\%$ ethanol extract was fractionated subsequently by hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water, and the antimicrobial activity of each dried fraction was tested by paper disk diffusion method. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited strong antimicrobial activity on the five strains of food born bacteria e.g. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Pseudomonas nuorescens. The antimicrobial activity of the fraction was stronger than benzoic acid and showed no appreciable difference between on $Gm^+$ and $Gm^-$ bacteria. Heat treatment of the fraction at $110^{circ}C$ for 1 hr did not change the degree of inhibitory effect. The ethyl acetate fraction showed almost perfect growth inhibition on the tested strains at over 800 ppm.