Isolation and Antibacterial Activity of Acacia nilotica Flower Against Bacteria Isolated from Wound Infections

Abstract

This study investigates the antibacterial activity of Acacia nilotica flower extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, two common pathogens associated with wound infections. The plant material was collected, dried, and extracted using Distilled Water. The antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method. The results for phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phenolic compounds, and terpenoids, while steroids were absent. The flower extract exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, with a maximum zone of inhibition of 5.0 mm against S. aureus while S. epidermidis had the lowest inhibition (3.0 mm) at 10 mg/mL using ciprofloxacin as the positive control. The negative control (distilled water) showed no inhibition across all concentrations. The MIC of A. nilotica extract ranged from 9.6 mg/mL to 10 mg/mL, while the MBC ranged from 9.8 mg/mL to 10 mg/mL. This study provides evidence that Acacia nilotica flower extracts, possess potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus and S. epidermidis isolated from wound infections. The results support the potential use of A. nilotica flower as a natural antimicrobial agent in the treatment of wound infections caused by these pathogens.