Antimicrobial activity of extracts obtained from Urera baccifera (L.) Gaudich

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to assess the antimicrobial activity of extracts from Urera baccifera. Aqueous, ethanol and methanol extracts made from the leaves, bark and roots of U. baccifera were tested, at different concentrations using the disk diffusion method, against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). Inoculated plates were incubated at 35o C ± 1 C for 24 hours and the inhibition halos were assessed and interpreted. The methanol extracts from the leaves (ML) and roots (MR) had greatest antimicrobial activity against the three bacteria tested. The MICs of the ML and MR extracts against E. coli were 6.25 and 0.19 mg/L, respectively, and against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus they were 3.12 and 0.19 mg/L (for both species). The results show that the methanol extracts of the leaves and roots of U. baccifera are antimicrobially active against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.