Fingerprinting of the Acacia nilotica (L.) Bark Extract Having Antibacterial Property

Abstract

Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile, commonly known as “Babul”, is reported for its medicinal property since ages. Plant is recognized for its medicinal use in traditional practices. For the study, phytochemicals were extracted as well as identified from four different solvents and their antibacterial property was determined. The fingerprinting was accomplished using HPTLC and the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) was elucidated using standard protocols. Two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria were selected for the antibacterial screening. The major phytochemicals identified in the extract of the bark of A. nilotica were catechin/epicatechin, ellagic acid and m-digallic acid. Excellent antimicrobial activity was found in chloroform (40 μg/mL) and methanol (60 μg/mL) extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The chloroform extracts consist of higher number of phytochemicals/bands as compared with other extracts and demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against all the test bacterial species.