Abstract

TOPICAL HERBAL ANTIMICROBIAL FORMULATION CONTAINING PROSOPIS JULIFLORA METHANOL EXTRACT

AM Othman, Nasser A. Awadh Ali*, Abdulwali A. Saif and Ebtisam A. Al-Fadhli

Abstract

Defatted methanol extract obtained from Prosopis juliflora collected from Yemen was investigated for antimicrobial activity against different strains of bacteria and Candida albicans which were known to cause different types of skin infections. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) was determined by microdilution assay. Defatted methanol extract of P. juliflora (MEPJ) exhibited strong activity against S. aureus and S. pyogenes, the main causative organisms of skin and soft tissue infections, with MIC values of 0.0156–0.0313 mg/ml and 0.0078 mg/ml, respectively. Topical formulations containing 4% w/w MEPJ were prepared using different bases. They were evaluated by agar diffusion assay against organisms under test in comparison with commercial antimicrobial products and different concentrations of MEPJ in phosphate buffer saline solution. Macrogol ointment, lutrol gel and emulgel prepared with MEPJ showed greater antimicrobial activities than cream and emulgel bases. Macrogol ointment, lutrol gel and emulgel containing 4%v/w MEPJ showed comparable inhibition zone to that of marketed products and to the MEPJ solutions. It was concluded that the satisfactory antimicrobial activities of defatted methanol extract of P. juliflora was achieved from macrogol ointment, lutrol gel and emulgel which could be used for further investigation.

Keywords: Prosopis juliflora; Defatted methanolic extract; Antimicrobial activity; Topical Formulations; Lutrol gel.