Evaluation of antimicrobial effects of prosopis cineraria leaves

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has become a serious problem, now a day. The objective of study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of leaves of Prosopis cineraria against a variety of bacterial and fungal strains. For this purpose, six bacterial (both gram positive and negative) and two fungal strains were selected. Crude plant extract was prepared in 70% hydro-alcoholic solution by simple extraction and it was observed that the leaves extract inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms up to certain level at concentrations of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 µg/disc, by using disc diffusion method. Maximum zones of inhibition (mm) of leaves extract against Eschericha coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Klebsilla pneumonia and Pseudomonas auregenosa were 25.7, 21.7, 24.7, 23.7, 26.7 and 26.3 mm respectively at concentration of 1600 µg/disc. Moreover, Prosopis cineraria leaves extracts in concentration of 1600 µg/disc remarkably inhibited the growth of Cunninghamella echinulata and Aspergillus niger species, with zones of inhibition of 15.7 and 24.3 mm, respectively. While, there was no inhibition of growth of microorganisms at low concentration (200 µg/disc) against these fungal strains. On the basis of results, it was concluded that plant extract significantly inhibited the growth of bacterial and fungal strains, further it was found that extract was more active against gram negative bacteria than that of gram-positive bacteria.