Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MORINGA OLEIFERA

*Kartik Singh Thakur, Namrata A. Thakur, Chethana Tambake, K. Sanket Reddy, Md Sohel Mulla Sanjeev Kumar, Shaik Muheeb, Shashikumar

Abstract

Moringa oleifera, belongs to the Moringaceae family, is an indigenous plant and native to the North India region, Also known as the miracle tree, is a rich source of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds with medicinal potential. This study employed Soxhlet extraction using 90% ethanol to obtain crude extracts from dried powdered Moringa leaves. The extraction yielded a high amount of phytochemicals, including phenolics and flavonoids. The antibacterial activity of the extract was evaluated against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria using the Kirby-Bauer well diffusion method. The extract demonstrated concentration-dependent antibacterial effects, with the highest inhibition observed at 100 μl, showing greater sensitivity in S. aureus compared to the Gram-negative strains. This difference is attributed to structural variations in bacterial cell walls influencing phytochemical permeability. The findings highlight Moringa oleifera as a promising natural antibacterial agent, particularly effective against Gram-positive bacteria. Further studies are recommended to isolate active compounds and elucidate their mechanisms of action.

Keywords: Moringa oleifera; Anti-Bacterial Activity; Ethanolic extract; Phytochemical constituents.