Abstract

Antibacterial properties of leaves of Pongamia pinnata Linn. (Fabaceae) against enteric bacterial pathogens

Author(s): S.B.Dahikar, S.R.Arote, D.H.Tambekar, P.G.Yeole, S.A.Bhutada

Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive number ofmodern drugs have been isolated fromnatural sources, many based on their use in traditional medicine. Petroleum ether extract, chloroform extract, ethyl acetate extract and methanol extracts of leaves of Pongamia pinnata Linn. were prepared and antibacterial activitywere studied by disc diffusion method against certain enteric bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Proteus vulgaris.. The Methanol extracts had wide range of antibacterial activity on these bacterial pathogens than the petroleum ether extract. Ethyl acetate extract were slightly higher antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens than chloroformextract.Antibacterial activity of various extract of leaves of pongamia pinnata was carried in attempt to support the use by medicinal practitioner for the treatment of enteric infection.