STUDIES ON IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF STERCULIA FOETIDA L. BARK

The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant potential of n-hexane and methanolic extracts of Sterculia foeida L. bark. The antibacterial potential of Sterculia foetida L. bark was tested against human pathogens causing diarrhoea and dysentery such as Shigella flexneri (MTCC-9543), Salmonella enterica ser typhi (MTCC-733), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC-1305), Streptococcus mitis (MTCC-2897), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC-109) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-1430) by using agar well diffusion method. The result of the study revealed that n-hexane extract was highly effective against Shigella flexneri, whereas Klebsiella pneumoniae showed no response and Salmonella enterica ser typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mitis, Staphylococcus aureus responded moderately. The methnolic extract had high inhibition against Salmonella enterica ser typhi (15.16 ± 0.20 mm) whereas Shigella flexneri showed no response and moderate effect against other test bacteria. The antioxidant activity by DPPH scavenging method resulted in significant antioxidant potential of n-hexane and methanolic extracts with IC₅₀ value of 51.26 and 66.84 respectively. Ciprofloxacin was taken as the reference antibiotic.