Comparative Antibacterial Activity of Acacia Nilotica Wild. Leaves Extracts Against Multi Drug Resistant Bacteria

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance among bacteria is becoming a major problem in the treatment of many infections. Hence, there is need to find a potential alternative way of curing disease, this includes the use of medicinal plants in overcoming the antibiotic resistance. The present study was aimed at investigating the antibacterial activity of Acacia nilotica Wild. leaves extracts against some selected multi drug resistant bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Extraction of Acacia nilotica were performed using water and chloroform, on the basis of their increasing polarity with varying concentrations and were screened for the antibacterial activity using disc diffusion assay. Phytochemical screening reveals presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids and steroids. Aqueous extract was found to be more potent against all the selected bacterial pathogens with zone of inhibition ranges from (10 mm-13 mm) and (6 mm-10 mm) while that of chloroform extract were (3 mm-5 mm) and (2 mm-4 mm) against S. aureus and aeruginosa respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were (7 mg/ml) and (15 mg/ml) for aqueous extract while (15 mg/ml) and (25 mg/ml) for the chloroform extract on the test bacteria. Therefore this study determined the value of Acacia nilotica plant as alternative treatment for bacterial infections that can be used to completely overcome or minimize the resistance of bacteria observed in synthetic antimicrobial agents.