ANTI-MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF AEGLE MARMELOS USING EXTRACTION IN DIFFERENT MEDIUM

The present study investigates the phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial efficacy of Aegle marmelos leaf extracts obtained using different solvents aqueous, ethanol, methanol, and hydroalcoholic (70% ethanol). Phytochemical analysis revealed that hydroalcoholic and methanolic extracts contained the highest concentrations of total phenolic, flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids, while the aqueous extract exhibited the greatest saponin content, highlighting solvent-specific extraction efficiency. The DPPH free radical scavenging assay was employed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the extracts. The hydroalcoholic extract demonstrated the strongest activity (82.4 ± 1.9% inhibition at 200 µg/mL), followed by methanol (79.2 ± 1.7%), indicating a strong correlation with phenolic and flavonoid contents. Antimicrobial activity was assessed via agar well diffusion against selected bacterial and fungal strains, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (UPEC and EPEC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus species. Hydroalcoholic and methanolic extracts exhibited notable antimicrobial efficacy, with the hydroalcoholic extract showing the largest zones of inhibition against S. aureus (20 ± 0.4 mm) and C. albicans (19 ± 0.3 mm). These findings validate the traditional medicinal use of Aegle marmelos leaves and highlight the potential of alcohol-based extracts as promising sources of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. Further studies focusing on bioactive compound isolation, mechanism elucidations, and toxicity assessments, are warranted to explore therapeutic applications.