Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FLOWER EXTRACTS OF BOMBAX CEIBA ON COLI FORMS

Roja Sri Donipati*, Dr.M.V.Rama Rao and Dr.P.Subhasini

Abstract

Bombax ceiba is commonly known as silk cotton tree and semal which belongs to family Bombacaceae.It is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical India. Many parts of the plant are mainly used by various tribal communities and forest dwellers for the treatment of wide variety of ailments. The aim of the study is to assess the antimicrobial activity and to determine the zone of inhibition of extracts on some bacterial strains. In the present study, the microbial activity of Hexane, Methanol and chloroform extracts of flowers of Bombax ceiba were evaluated for potential antimicrobial activity against medically important bacterial strains. The antimicrobial activity was determined in the extracts using agar disc diffusion method. Extracts were effective on tested microorganisms. The antibacterial activities of solvent extracts (50, 100, 250, 500μg/ml) of Bombax ceiba were tested against four bacterial strains respectively. The extracts showed broad spectrum of inhibition by showing antibacterial effect for both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains. Crude extracts of Bombax ceiba exhibited moderate to strong activity against most of the bacteria tested. The tested bacterial strains were, E. coli, Klebsiella, and P.mirabilis. The extracts showed significant inhibition against S. aureus strains.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Bombax ceiba, Bacterial strains, Zone of inhibition.