Evaluation of antibacterial potential of leaf extracts of Mimusops elengi.

Different solvent extracts of the leaves of Mimusops elengi were prepared and screened for their antibacterial activity against six different bacterial strains including both gram negative strains such as Escherichia coli (MTCC 40), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 424), Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 426) and gram positive strains such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (MTCC 237) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 87), Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 2639). The extracts were evaluated at 200 and 300mg/ml by using cup-plate method. All the tested extracts exhibited significant antibacterial activity in a dose dependent manner. Among the various extracts of Mimusops elengi leaves, methanol extract exhibited high inhibitory zone followed by ethanol, chloroform and petroleum ether. Petroleum ether extract was found to be ineffective at 200 mg/ml against all the test organisms. Thus, this in vitro study supports its traditional application as a preventive remedy for the treatment microbial diseases.