ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF HYDRO-ALCOHOLIC BARK EXTRACT OF PONGAMIA PINNATA

Kanuga (Pongamia pinnata), a plant belonging to Leguminosae described in Vedas has ethnobotanical importance and a variety of medicinal properties. Pongamia pinnata, commonly grown on the roads of India is used to heal wounds, treat many fungal infections, skin diseases and to clean teeth. The objective of the current study is to perform phytochemical analysis and appraise the antimicrobial activity of hydro-alcoholic bark extract of Pongamia pinnata. Dried, powdered bark was extracted with water and ethanol (1:1) mixture by soxhlation for 72 h. Following the standard tests of phytochemical investigation, the hydro-alcoholic bark extract subsumes constituents like flavonoids, phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, saponins, glycosides, and alkaloids. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the hydro-alcoholic bark extract was evaluated by serial tube dilution method, and MIC for Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger was 100 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, and 100 µg/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of hydro-alcoholic bark extract of Pongamia was assessed by agar well diffusion method. Organisms used for antimicrobial assessment include Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger. The standard antibiotics used for antibacterial, antifungal assay were ciprofloxacin and fluconazole, respectively.