Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIIES OF THE LEAF AND BARK EXTRACTS OF WRIGHTIA TINCTORIA R.Br.

Beena Jose*, Jesy E.J.

Abstract

The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the leaf and bark extracts of Wrightia tinctoria (Pala Indigo) were investigated. The antibacterial potential of the leaf coconut oil extracts, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaves and bark of Wrightia tinctoria were studied against human pathogenic bacteria viz. Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter faecalis, Salmonella paratyphi, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens and antifungal activity against two fungi namely Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum by ‘agar well diffusion’ method. Leaf and bark methanol extracts of Wrightia tinctoria exhibited pronounced activity against Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria and their activity is quite comparable with the standard antibiotics such as tobramycin and gentamycin sulphate screened under similar conditions. The results obtained showed that the leaf and bark methanol extracts of W.tinctoria can be considered as good sources of antimicrobial compounds and can be incorporated into the drug formulations.

Keywords: Wrightia tinctoria, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, agar well diffusion method, drug formulations