Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of ethanolic fruit extracts of Terminalia pallida Brandis
Paper Details
Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of ethanolic fruit extracts of Terminalia pallida Brandis
Abstract
Terminalia pallida has been traditionally used to treat cough, cold, diarrhea, respiratory infections, peptic ulcers, diabetes, fissures, cracks, skin diseases and used in the tanning and dyeing industries. Owing to its bioactive compounds, such as tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of T. pallida fruit extracts against various microbial strains. The antimicrobial activity was determined using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and zone of inhibition measurements against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The MIC indicated that S. aureus, B. cereus, S. epidermidis, and E. coli were sensitive to the extract at 12.5 mg/ml. However, E. aerogenes and P. aeruginosa required higher concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/ml, respectively, to inhibit growth. For fungal strains, MIC was observed as 25 mg/ml. The zone of inhibition studies confirmed these findings, showing significant inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria at both low and high doses of the extract. P. aeruginosa exhibited moderate sensitivity at the high dose, while E. coli and E. aerogenes showed resistance. In fungal strains, C. albicans was found to be more sensitive than A. niger. Ethanolic fruit extract of T. pallida demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, with dose-dependent efficacy. Further research is needed to optimize the concentrations and explore mechanisms to enhance the activity against resistant Gram-negative strains.
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