In vitro evaluation of anti bacterial activity of heart wood extract of Acacia catechu willd on enteric pathogens

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti bacterial activity of Acacia catechu willd on selected enteric pathogens. Acacia catechu willd (AC) is a moderate thorny deciduous tree growing in tropical countries commonly known as Black cutch. It has a diverse pharmacological and phytochemical importance and is a potent medicinal plant in the traditional Indian medicinal systems. Antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of heart wood of Aacacia catechu was screened against Salmonella typhi, [Gram negative bacilli-GNB], Shigella flexneri [GNB], E.coli [GNB], Klebsiella pneumonia [GNB], Vibrio cholera [GNB], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [GNB] and Staphylococcus aureus, [Gram positive cocci], using agar well diffusion technique. The results of this study showed that both the extracts at different concentrations exhibited anti bacterial activity against the bacterial species tested. The ethanolic extract showed higher degree of activity than aqueous extract when compared with the standards.