Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF PHYLLANTHUS EMBLICA L. LEAVES EXTRACTS AGAINST GRAM-POSITIVE AND GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA

Gitika and Manoj Kumar*

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of Phyllanthus emblica L. flower extracts in different solvents (methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous) were studied against seven different bacterial strains, including four gram-positive (Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp.) and three gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium). In the present study, aqueous extracts gave the highest yield percentage as compared to methanol as well as ethanol. The extracts were tested for the presence of antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion assay (AWDA) method and the patterns of inhibition varied with the solvent and the tested organisms. The results showed that M. luteus among the gram-positive and E. coli among the gram-negative were highly susceptible as compared to other tested organisms. The methanolic extract of P. emblica was the most effective as the widest inhibitory zone was observed as compared to the ethanolic and aqueous extract. Screening of crude extract showed notable minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) at concentrations range of 12.50 to 100 mg/ml. The remarkable antibacterial activity of the P. emblica leaves extracts against tested gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria suggests that there is a scientific basis for its utilization as antibacterial agents in designing and developing new drugs.

Keywords: Antibacterial; Phyllanthus emblica; Solvents; Zone of Inhibition.