Antimicrobial activities of Azadirachta indica (Neem) extracts on selected pathogenic bacteria.

ABSTRACT

The use of medicinal plants is a universal phenomenon. Every culture on earth has relied on the huge variety of natural chemistry found in healing plants for their therapeutic properties. All drugs of the past were substances with a particular therapeutic action and they were extracted from plants. Thus, medicinal plants may be define as, any plant that may have medicinal use. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Neem (Azadirachta indica) by using agar diffusion assay. The bacterial strains used in this research work were Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas auregenosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus cereus, Shigella dysenteriae, Streptococcus fecalis, and Proteus vulgaris. The Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) were macerated in organic solvents including aqueous, ethanol and methanol. Then, by using agar diffusion assay antibacterial activity of these medicinal plants was estimated. The zones of inhibition were measured by scaling and represented by tables and graphs. The most resistant organisms to the extract was E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while the most susceptible are Bacillus sp, Streptococcus sp. and Staphylococcus aureus.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Objectives

Literature review

Materials & Methods

Results

Conclusion

Recommendation