ISSN: 2161-1025
Shyamapada Mandal*, Bijayanta Sircar
Aims: The current study determines the antibacterial activity of 'Bakul' (Mimusops elengi) leaf, seed and bark extracts against gram-negative clinical bacterial isolates as well as the standard bacterial strains. Methods: The disc diffusion method was followed to determine the antibacterial activity of M. elengi leaf, seed and bark extracts against the clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates was determined by disc diffusion. Results: The concentration dependent activity of the extracts against the bacteria was recorded with zone diameter of inhibition 7 - 21 mm. The extracts in combination with antibiotics (cefpodoxime, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin) had growth inhibitory indices (GIIs), 0.5 – 0.6, 0.5 – 0.89 and 0.73 – 0.82 against E. coli, K. pneumonia and Pr. vulgaris clinical isolates, respectively, while for the standard strains (E. coli, K. pneumonia and Ps. aeruginosa) the GIIs ranged 0.56 – 0.86. Most of the extracts were tested positive for the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, quinone and phenol. Conclusion: The M. elengi leaf, seed and bark extracts, in combination with antibiotics, had synergistic interactions against all the standard bacterial strains and Pr. vulgaris clinical isolates, while both synergistic and additive interactions were recorded against E. coli and K. pneumonia clinical isolates.