Antibacterial activity of Garlic, Tulsi, Bitter guard and Cinnamon extracts against wound pathogens

Abstract

In the present study antibacterial properties of fruits harvested from natural medicinal plants garlic, tulsi, bitter guard and cinnamon, were explored against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which had been extracted from wound infections of sick patients. Antimicrobial components were extracted by solvent extraction using methanol and ethanol as extracts. Agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial nature of extracts. The methanolic extract of garlic was found effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which gave an inhibition zone of 27mm and 28mm respectively. Ethanolic extract of cinnamon was effective against Escherichia coli by giving an inhibition zone of 27mm. These results were far better than the zone of inhibition given by the standard tetracycline antibiotic used throughout the study. Tulsi and bitter guard were less effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by giving an inhibitory zone which was less as compaired to garlic and cinnamon extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the most effective extracts were determined where by garlic methanolic (GM) extract had 0.14µg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while cinnamon ethanolic (CE) extract had 0.12µg/ml against Escherichia coli.