Indian Journal of Botanical Research 12 ISSN - 0973 - 2233

Ind. J. Bot. Res. 2008. Vol. 4 (2) : 249 - 251

ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF ACACIA FARNESIANA (L.) WILLD.

THIRUPAL REDDY B*, VARAPRASAD BOBBA RALA** AND D. ALI MOULALI*
* Dept. of Botany, Government College, Anantapur, A.P. 515001, India.
** Dept. of Botany, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. A.P. 530 003, India.
Email: ushodayaonline@yahoo.co.in

(Received 2 January 2008, Accepted 12 March 2008)

SUMMARY
Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd(Mimosaceae). A wild plant growing in Eswaramala
forest of Ananatapur District of Andhra Pradesh is used by the local people, against various
ailments like cough and cold. In the present paper the different extracts obtained from the
fruits of Acacia farnesiana exhibited a broad spectrum of Antimicrobial activity. The benzene,
chloroform, methanol, and water extracts were active against gram-positive bacteria like
Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus roseus, Staphylococcus aureus, and gram-negative bacteria
like Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungal species like Candida
tropicalis. While Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were resistant to
chloroform extracts. Klebsiella pneumoniae was resistant to the benzene and water extracts.
Key Words: Acacia farnesiana. Mimosaceae. Antimicrobial activity. medicinal plants.

INTRODUCTION
Microbial infections are an important health problem throughout the world, and plants
are possible sources of antimicrobial agents (Burapadaja & Bunchoo 1995). The increasing
prevalence of multi drug resistant strains of bacteria and the recent appearance of strains
with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics raises the specter of untreatable bacteria infections
and adds urgency to the search for new infections fighting strategies (Sierdski et al.1999)
In this present study, different solvent fruit extracts from Acacia farnesiana were
assayed against a collection of human pathogens. The objective was to select plant species
with higher activity for further chemical investigation to isolate the active compounds by
means of bioactivity guided fractionation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Acacia farnesiana fruits were collected during the vegetative period of 2003-2005
from Eswaramala forest of Andhra Pradesh, India. A specimen was deposited in the form of
herbarium, Ethno botanical research center, Govt. College, Anantapur, A.P. India.
IND. J. BOT. RES. Volume - 4. ( No. 2 ). 2008 249
Preparation of extracts

Coarsely powdered air-dried fruits of Acacia farnesiana were successively

extracted with benzene, chloroform and methanol using the soxhelt apparatus. The different
extracts obtained were concentrated with a rotary evaporator and brought to complete dryness
over water bath to yield the crude extracts.

Antimicrobial assay

The crude extract of the fruits were subjected to antimicrobial assay using the cup-
plate method of Murray et al. (1995) modified by Olurinola (1996).

20 ml of Mueller-Hinton agar was dispensed into sterile university bottles. These

were then inoculated with 0.2 ml of the cultures, mixed gently, and poured sterile Petri
dishes. After setting, a number 4-cup borer (8 mm diameter) was properly sterilized by
flaming and used to make three uniform cups in each petri dish. A drop of molten agar was
used to seal the base of each cup. The cups were filled with the different extracts, and
allowed to diffuse for 45 minutes. The solvents used for reconstituting the extracts were
similarly analyzed. The plates were incubated at 37o C for 24 hr.

Organisms and Media

Listed in table cultures obtained from Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH),

Chandigarh was used in this study.
Table 1: Effect of fruit extracts of Acacia farnesiana on test organisms
Name of the Benzene Chloroform Methanol Water Standard
S.No
organisms extract extract extract extracts Antibiotics
ZI MIC ZI MIC ZI MIC ZI MIC
1. Bacillus cereus 12 200 14 125 15 200 12 200 22a
Micrococcus
2 12 125 13 125 15 125 12 125 24a
roseus
Staphylococcus
3. 11 100 - - 13 150 10 100 24a
aureus
4. Escherichia coli 12 125 13 125 15 200 9 100 24b
Klebsiella
5. - - - - 14 125 - - 24b
pneumoniae
Pseudomonas
6. 14 100 14 150 8 150 10 150 24b
aerugionsa
7. Aspergillus niger - - - - - - - - 20 c
Candida
8. 14 125 12 100 14 125 11 200 22c
tropicalis

Zl: Zone of inhibition in mm; MIC: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (ug/ml);

a: Ampicillin 10 ug/ml; b: Tetracyclin 30 ug/ml; c: Vancomycin 30 ug/ml; --: Resistant

IND. J. BOT. RES. Volume - 4. ( No. 2 ). 2008 250

 The strains were maintained and tested on nutrient agar for bacteria and potato
dextrose agar for fungi for the Antimicrobial tests.

OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSIONS

The data present in table 1 indicate that the fruit extracts from Acacia farnesiana
inhibit the growth of some of the tests microorganisms to various degrees. The methanolic
extracts were found to be the most effective against it. Over all, the gram-positive bacteria
strains were sensitive than the gram-negative bacteria. These results may provide a basis
for the isolation of compounds of biological interest from Acacia farnesiana.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors thank Professor K.C. Naidu, Dept. of Botany, Andhra University,

Visakhapatnam for his cooperation, valuable suggestions and providing laboratory.

REFERENCES

Burapadaja, S. & A. Bunchoo 1995. Antimicrobial activity of tannins from Terminalia citrina.
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Murray, P.R. Baron EJ Pfaller MA, Tenover FC, Yolken HR. 1995. Manual of clinical;
microbiology, 6th Edition, ASM Press, Washington DC, 15-18.

Olurinola, P.F. 1996. A laboratory manual of pharmaceutical microbiology. Printed by National

Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu, Abuja, Nigeria,
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Sieradski, K. Roberts R.B., Haber S.W., Tomasz. A. 1999: The development of vancomycin
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